THE WORK of Jersey’s Infrastructure and Environment Department recently gained recognition at the Royal Town Planning Institute South West Awards for Planning Excellence.
Marine Resources won ‘Best Plan’ for its work on Jersey’s Marine Spatial Plan, a framework for managing the Island’s marine heritage and environment that was approved by the States Assembly last year.
RTPI judges hailed the MSP as an “innovative example of evidenced-based and collaborative plan making”, highlighting “unanimous political support and evidence of exemplary recognition from well-respected organisations”.
Francis Binney, head of Marine Resources, cited the “huge collaborative effort between Government, industry, and Islanders with an interest in the sea”.
Reacting to the award, he added: “This is a great endorsement of how we are managing and planning to manage Jersey’s territorial seas.”
Additionally, Andrew Marx, head of Development and Land in Regulation, received the ‘Unsung Planning Hero’ award, for his efforts in delivering improvements to Jersey’s Planning Service – which judges described as “positive and proactive”.
Mr Marx said: “I was honoured and humbled to be nominated for the award, and I wish to share the recognition with our Group Director Kelly Whitehead, all our planners and the technical support and regulatory improvement officers that have worked tirelessly to improve our planning services for the benefit of all Islanders.”
He added: “I wish to thank the Minister for Environment, Deputy Steve Luce, for his trust and support, and the Members of the Industry Partnership Board for their guidance and positive engagement with our planning reform programme.”
Principal planning officer Tracey Ingle was also nominated for the ‘Unsung Planning Hero’ award, which judges said “highlighted Tracey’s collaborative ways of working”.
