Celebrating a double win at LGC awards

Last night Plymouth City Council scooped two prestigious national awards – recognising the city’s leadership in both environmental innovation and inclusive employment.

The prestigious Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards 2025, recognise the best in local government, with judges having to consider over 1,000 submissions from councils across the UK.

Plymouth City Council LGC Awards attendees

At a ceremony last night, Plymouth City Council was honoured in the Environmental Services category for our pioneering Habitat Bank, and in Diversity and Inclusion for our transformative Supported Internships programme. Shining a spotlight on our incredible work to build a greener, fairer future for Plymouth.

Plymouth’s Habitat Bank, delivered through the city’s green finance vehicle Ocean City Nature, will deliver an impressive £7m in investment to restore and enhance habitats across the city. The initiative is creating a local market for Biodiversity Units, helping developers meet planning requirements while delivering real gains for nature and communities with work on the first site at Ham Woods already underway.

And the Supported Internships programme has grown from just nine participants to 67 in just two years. The programme supports young people with learning difficulties or disabilities to gain meaningful, sustainable employment through a blend of tailored work placements, coaching and classroom learning.  Every single participant has gone on to secure a job – a remarkable achievement that’s changing lives.

Tracey Lee, Chief Executive for Plymouth City Council, said: "Wow! What a fantastic achievement. Winning these two national awards is a fantastic achievement for Plymouth – and a powerful reflection of the values we hold as a city. Whether it’s leading the way on biodiversity or making a real difference to people and places. I want to say a heartfelt thank you to all the staff who made these projects possible. Well done and congratulations!”