Bury St Edmunds-based planning consultancy wins Small Business of the Year at Bury Free Press West Suffolk Business Awards 2023

A planning consultancy with experience in an extensive range of services and has seen rapid growth won Business of the Year (Small) at the Bury Free Press West Suffolk Business Awards 2023.

James Bailey Planning Limited (JBPL) was formed in 2020 by owner James Bailey, to provide clients with added planning benefits through local knowledge and extensive experience.

Fast-forward three and a half years, and it has grown from a single person, to six-strong team with an office location in Bury St Edmunds.

The Bury Free Press West Suffolk Business Awards took place at the Apex venue in Bury St Edmunds, on October 13.

Now in its 12th year, the prestigious awards celebrate business success across the district from individuals who have made a difference, to start-ups on their way up, and lifetime achievers for who have overseen decades of success.

This year, the awards attracted more than 200 entries across 13 categories.

Suffolk Chamber of Commerce sponsored the Business of the Year category, which for the first time this year was split in to Small and Medium/Large.

The Chamber has a vibrant business membership with businesses ranging from tourism and horseracing to manufacturing, renewables, technology and burgeoning life science sectors on the border with Cambridgeshire.

It is the largest and most influential lobbying body in Suffolk.

Judges were looking for an outstanding business whose growth, ambition and quality of management has enabled it to out-perform its peers in a variety of areas including financial wellbeing, company strategy, diversity and inclusion, people development and community engagement.

This category was open to entries from businesses with less than 10 employees.

James Bailey Planning offers a comprehensive range of planning services which includes initial early planning advice; site appraisals; planning applications; Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plan representations; master planning; strategic site promotions; public engagement and consultation; and engaging and negotiating with Local Authorities and County Councils.

Its experience ranges from: smaller householder projects; to commercial and retail premises; heritage work; local and national infrastructure projects; up to large scale housing led schemes.

Business of the Year (Small)
Winner: James Bailey Planning Limited
Highly Commended: LS Fitness
Midgar Coffee
Mess Around Ltd