Alison Balsdon, Devon County Council

Alison is an accomplished planner who is proud of her vocational route into planning. Her broad experience covers development management, planning policy, and infrastructure delivery, including a specialist focus on minerals and waste. This breadth helps her to see how different aspects of planning influence each other, and she applies this to various projects. Alison leads diverse projects, communicates effectively, and supports colleagues through feedback and learning sessions. She actively promotes planning, organising events for the RTPI Young Planners and inspiring students. Her approachable, resilient nature and commitment to professional development make her a role model for aspiring planners.

Elizabeth Bisp, Black Box Planning

Elizabeth Bisp MRTPI is a Senior Planner at Black Box Planning whose early career has already shown exceptional professionalism, leadership and dedication to planning. Since joining the practice in 2021, she has led significant housing projects, including a major affordable housing development in South Gloucestershire, and has secured planning approval for complex schemes at committee. She is also contributing to strategic planning work supporting Glynchbrook, a proposed new town in the Forest of Dean. Alongside her project work, Libby brings a strong interest in the relationship between planning and social policy, giving her work a thoughtful, community-focused perspective