As we begin this new year, we’ve been reflecting on 2020. A difficult year in so many ways, but also a year that presented us with new opportunities and ways of working. Covid-19 has pushed us into working digitally more than ever and we are seeing great results doing online workshops and using collaborative technology such as Miro and revisiting the use of old friends online like Place Check.
As a team our accomplishments have included being shortlisted as Small Planning Consultancy of the year for the Royal Town Planning Institute Awards 2020 as well as having three projects shortlisted in the regional awards – two of which were for Neighbourhood Plans. Despite being shortlisted for four awards we didn’t win one! Proud to be shortlisted with some excellent other teams and projects though.
We’ve seen members of our team become chartered planners, be appointed to the High Streets Task force as an ‘expert’ , publish articles in professional journals and be a founding member of the Association of Collaborative Designers.
We continued to work with communities through the pandemic, mainly on Neighbourhood Plans taking rural communities such as Seend, and towns such as Melksham though the process of preparing and consulting on their Neighbourhood Plans. We have also continued our work with Planning Aid Wales through research and on Place Plans.
We’ve gone to more training / learning events (online) that ever before! We’ve also enjoyed seminars and the ever engaging and illuminating planoraks blog.
What will 2021 bring us? A national model design code is one thing we know it promises….