The awards were presented at two separate ceremonies held last week, with one acknowledging the Planning Academy’s (now known as The Place Academy) outstanding contributions to professional development and planning practices and the other for the Strategic Growth Team’s exceptional work over the past two years.
The first accolade went to the Council’s Strategic Growth Team which won the Planning Authority of the Year Winner category at the Royal Town Planning Institute’s (RTPI) East of England Planning Excellence Awards ceremony held on June 22, 2023.
The Team was recognised for showing great resilience and adapting to unexpected challenges, adopting the Local Plan after a difficult Examination and committing to a challenging work programme.
The Judges said: “Central Bedfordshire Council has been recognised for their exceptional work over the past two years. The team has been involved in a variety of projects, including the Local Plan, which was adopted in July 2021 after two separate Examination sessions.
“This achievement is particularly impressive considering the unexpected challenges that the team faced, such as Covid-19 restrictions and staff changes.”
The judges also highlighted the Council’s commitment to equality, diversity, inclusivity and tackling inequalities, which was evident in the implementation of Equalities Impact Assessments for all planning policy documents.
The second award was presented at the MJ Achievement Awards held on 23 June, which are a celebration of success stories for people working in local government. Winning the ‘Workforce Optimisation’ category was the Council’s Place Academy. To win the award, the team impressed the judging panel at a presentation in April.
The Academy was created in 2018 to overcome recruitment difficulties and reliance on temporary staffing. There was a need for an innovative approach to optimise the workforce and grow its own talent. Since 2018, 29 trainees have been employed via the Academy training programme covering planning, building control, flood risk, natural environment, highways and conservation.
Councillor Mary Walsh, Executive Member for Planning and Development, said: “We are very proud of both teams’ achievements and this recognition of their hard work. These awards are a testament to their dedication and expertise and their commitment to delivering excellence within the planning profession.”
Central Bedfordshire Council will continue to invest in the development of planning professionals to ensure it delivers the highest quality planning services.
The Council also remains committed to providing exceptional training opportunities and will continue to drive innovation in the planning sector.
