We're delighted to announce the results of the South West for the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence 2022
JONATHAN BELL, the Head of Development Planning at Plymouth City Council, has been declared as 'Best in Region' of the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence 2022 in the South West but also as South West Head Planner of the Year 2022
The nomination stated that “Jonathan Bell is the best strategic thinker in Plymouth City Council. He has personally led a number of award-winning initiatives that have pushed the boundaries of creativity and innovation in how planning can help improve people’s lives and create great places. Jonathan has a keen philosophy for planning which embraces personal championing of quality outcomes. Jonathan is an incredibly caring and thoughtful manager, always looking for positive outcomes for staff, the council and the city. Never afraid to take on new challenges, Jonathan embraces the opportunity to think differently and creatively, providing opportunities for his team to shape new ideas”.
In judging Jonathan Bell as the ‘South West Head Planner of the Year 2022, the Judges Panel was impressed with the following:
- His enthusiasm and positivity in relating how he had faced and tackled substantial challenges during his work with Plymouth City Council in particular his recent leadership on the corporate Plymouth Plan, the Climate Emergency Strategy and the Plymouth and South West Devon Local Plan.
- The clear evidence that he had, and was continuing to have, a key role in the development and implementation of corporate policies and initiatives across the City Council with ‘planning’ at the core.
- His priority in maintaining productive relationships with stakeholders, communities and elected members.
- Boundaries of creativity and innovation have and are currently being pushed by him with an eye to learning lessons and continuous improvement – not just for himself but for his colleagues, the City Council and the wider community.
- In summary, the Judging Panel concluded that Jonathan is a credit to the planning profession.
Congratulations to Jonathan as the first individual planner in the 30 years of the regional competition to be judged as the overall winner of the RTPI South West Awards for Planning Excellence.
Jonathan Bell is the best strategic thinker in Plymouth City Council. He has personally led a number of award-winning initiatives that have pushed the boundaries of creativity and innovation in how planning can help improve people’s lives and create great places. Jonathan has a keen philosophy for planning which embraces personal championing of quality outcomes. Jonathan is an incredibly caring and thoughtful manager, always looking for positive outcomes for staff, the council and the city. Never afraid to take on new challenges, Jonathan embraces the opportunity to think differently and creatively, providing opportunities for his team to shape new ideas.
Jess is a Chartered Town Planner, recently appointed to Senior Planner at Pure Town Planning, based in Bournemouth. As an active member of the Dorset Young Planners since December 2019, and Chair of the group since July 2021, her enthusiasm shines through, buoying other young planners who are lucky enough to work alongside her or meet her in passing. The Dorset Young Planners are proud to be represented by such a professional planner who understands the technical aspects of planning.
St Sidwell’s Point, is the first UK leisure centre built to Passivhaus standard and is a demonstration of Exeter City Council’s vision for the future of the city, which includes developing a high quality and accessible built environment to encourage healthy, active lifestyles.
The Box brings together museum, archive, local studies, film & photographic collections within a new building crafted from three listed-buildings and organised around a dramatic new extension and piazza below the precious jewelled archive box. At its heart the ethos is conservation, heritage and preservation of Plymouth’s rich history and heritage, bringing together six outstanding national collections in a new and sustainable home. This rich blend of collections will enable the stories of international and local significance to be told through immersive experiences and amazing objects. Temporary galleries are integrated enabling both contemporary and heritage exhibitions of internationally significant scale.
The Devonport Market Hall is a world-class centre for digital innovation, enterprise and education, with a state-of-the-art 15m diameter immersive dome, the first of its kind in Europe. It is located in the heart of Devonport, Plymouth and is the final phase of the masterplan for the former MoD South Yard Enclave site. As well as rescuing a listed building at risk and opening it up to the local community for the first time since World War II, the project has provided a successful new destination use and a major regeneration catalyst as envisaged by the Area Action Plan
Jojo is a positive, proactive and professional Young Planner with a strong focus on communication and collaboration and the belief that a phone call can be worth a thousand emails. She has a passion for supporting and developing the next generation of planners, the future of our industry, and for promoting planning as a career as it’s still a little-understood profession outside its own four walls. What we require of our built environment and how we experience it is ever changing and, as planners, we have an exciting role in this constant evolution
Delivering against ambitious city Green Infrastructure Plans, this Council led, partnership project delivered high quality community facilities for accessible sport, natural play, recreation and public engagement, which responded to and enhanced the natural setting, in the heart of Plymouth’s Central Park. The process catalysed the involvement of more diverse partners, communities and social enterprise to co-design and manage a new café, community sports hub and events space that support the financial sustainability of the park; created a city exemplar for wildlife friendly management practice and environmental volunteering and generated new investment into nature based solutions for health and wellbeing.
Millie is Co-Chair of the Dorset Young Planners and has recently been appointed as an Urban Planner, Researcher and Studio Manager at Feria Urbanism, an award-winning design studio, based in Bournemouth. With experience in various areas of planning, she’s always the first to volunteer for a challenge. Her previous colleagues, Co-Chair and her manager feel that she’s one to watch!
Climate Positive Planning is the tool through which Somerset West and Taunton Council have effectively integrated their declaration of Climate and Ecological Emergencies into planning. This Statement is not policy itself but seeks to provide guidance and signposting to support adopted planning policies, national guidance and legislation in the interim period pending the adoption of future Local Plan(s). It underlines that the Climate Emergency is a material consideration and identifies how requirements of development plan policy may be viewed in assessing proposals, to inform effective decision making and improve standards of new development with immediate effect.