Winner - Jessica Hird - STAT Planning Ltd
Jessica is collaborative and inclusive, has delivered award-winning developments, continually
promotes the profession through networking, demonstrating leadership, innovation, and dedication to excellence.
Jessica Hird is an exceptional Young Planner, combining design expertise and planning knowledge to deliver outstanding results. With dual qualifications in Planning and Urban Design, she navigates complex projects for diverse clients, ensuring clarity and communication throughout. Her portfolio includes urban extensions, heritage redevelopments, and specialist retirement living schemes, earning prestigious awards. She excels in collaboration, mentoring junior planners, and promoting the profession through university engagements and industry events. A key advocate for women in construction, Jessica demonstrates tenacity, leadership, and a strong commitment to high-quality planning. She is a role model and a deserving candidate for Young Planner.
Jessica is a powerhouse of planning enthusiasm, commitment and energy. Her breadth of experience is huge and her determination and tenacity is palpable. She demonstrates the attributes of a servant leader in that she is generous with her time and skills in enabling the development of her peers and those who are junior to her in terms of their knowledge and experience in the planning profession. Jessica is a a real role model and her experience is really plentiful and varied. It extends from her demonstrating her commitment to assimilating and translating detailed evidence and translating that into winning complex planning appeals, to the more expansive and public side of planning in winning World Design awards. She plays a full and active role with a variety of organisations and bodies who promote and project the art and science of planning out into the wider world and is a significant player in building an engaging and interesting public face of planning to the wider world. Jessica is a real diamond in the planning profession"
Commended - Daisy Shields - Bosworth & Hinckley Borough Council
Daisy is highly valued by staff across the planning service, Member, developers and agents for her knowledge, enthusiasm and commitment she brings to the role.
Daisy is an exceptional Senior Planning Policy Officer and has led on a number of Local Plan workstreams, including leading on the SHELAA, managing consultants for the Local Plan evidence base, and taking an engaging role on Neighbourhood Plans. Daisy leads on the self build register using relevant planning legislation and case law, providing a vital tool to the Development Management Team. Daisy has grown in the role, is committed to professional development and mentors junior members of the team. Daisy is highly valued across the planning service for her knowledge, enthusiasm and commitment she brings to the role.
"Daisy is a wonderful example of a young person who is committed to the success of the planning profession and industry moving forward. Planning often for whatever reason, often perceptually, seems to struggle to sell its attributes and the positive contribution the profession brings to society as a whole and to enabling current and future generations to live full, vibrant and fulfilling lives. Daisy is a prime example of the antidote to to that sobriquet. Daisy is a model young planner, she is bright, engaging, and demonstrates intelligent with empathy. In my judgement one of Daisy's next steps should be to seek greater experience in the regulatory sides of the planning profession, so in the fields of Development Management and Planning Enforcement for example. Daisy is open to a whole variety of new and exciting experiences and she is keen to embrace new opportunities across all spectrums. I feel Daisy would be a worth award winner for her drive, determination, tenacity, and commitment to the planning profession and to implementing what planning is for. To make the lives of people better and as fulfilling as possible through the making of quality environments for them to work, rest and play".