New Beginnings

We often have a tendency to understand years as blocs of unrelated time. Once we open a new calendar on January 1st and hang it on the wall, this represents a new start, a break from the past and exciting opportunities ahead. “New year, new me” and so on.

Whilst this is undeniably true, I was lucky enough to embark on my new beginning at the end of November when I joined the Snapdragon East of England Office in Cambridge.

The majority of my time so far has been spent embarking on research projects which will be completed in the coming months. Who knew the days I spent sitting in the library at University inputting spools of data would come in handy so soon?

One of the projects currently in the pipeline is an extensive research piece into the upcoming 2018 Local Elections in the East of England. This will consist of election overviews, previous results, possible outcomes and potential changes to planning committee’s compositions in each ward where elections are to be held this May. This resource will then not only be a useful tool for Snapdragon moving forward, but also be made available to clients who wish to learn more about the potential political landscape in areas they are working in.

As a result, I already feel quite the expert whilst manoeuvring often thorny local council websites. Trawling through election archives in an effort to find that one apparently elusive figure, although frustrating at times, I’m assured will be worth it.

Additionally, another research project also being conducted is looking into each of the planning committees across the East of England, sourcing key information regarding efficiency, capacity and any strategies for the future. This information will provide in-depth knowledge and understanding of planning and development on a local stage across the region, evidencing the lengths Snapdragon goes to for our clients.

Despite my earlier point regarding the fluidity of years, 2018 does hold exciting opportunities for the Cambridge office. To name one, whilst I myself have recently joined the team, ambitious plans to continue growing the team remain.

More broadly, 2017 was the year of Brenda from Bristol claiming that “there’s too much politics going on”. It would be naïve to put money on 2018 being a quieter year than its predecessor, with Brexit, the Middle East and Trump, to name a few, all expected to continue dominating national and international headlines. Therefore, if the prognosis for the new year cannot be quieter, I’m sure many will be optimistically lining up being Brenda hoping for less turbulence.

Although my new beginning may have come about in November, Snapdragon is most definitely experiencing many new beginnings and I’m sure 2018 will be an exciting year for the East of England office.

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