Bethinn, Property Intern (2025)

I am about to start by second year studying English at the University of Cambridge. The work I do for my degree first appears quite different from the work I have undertaken during my time with the Strategic Property team. However, my time here has been so impactful because it has helped me further understand how to apply the skills I develop through my degree to my work. My time at West Suffolk Council has provided me with the opportunity to understand the various layers of local government, the relationships between different departments, and to become more familiar with the office environment.

The Strategic Property team nurtures some of the council’s largest projects. The multifaceted team of chartered surveyors, project managers, and architects faces a variety of challenges and negotiates between various stakeholders. They drive forward sales or purchases of council land and the development of relevant sites. I felt incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to see how they approach challenges that may arise, and the importance of problem solving, and adaptability, within the team.

I have been fortunate to have a wide variety of experiences during my internship. Tasks included ones for which I was able to utilise my prior knowledge. For example, when proofreading RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) stage 4 Gateway agreements for one of the council’s largest projects. But there were also many that were completely new to me, such as writing up the heads of terms for council-owned sites in Haverhill. These new challenges were exciting to face and enabled me to apply problem-solving and research skills to produce a contract with tangible results for the local area. I gained a greater understanding of how to balance the interests of various parties, account for minor details, as well as the format and lexicon of such agreements.

Throughout my time here, I have had the opportunity to attend meetings with construction contractors, designers, and project managers. Of particular interest to me was the negotiations with the project managers regarding the choice of framework for a large commercial development site. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to see how the team balanced the priorities of various stakeholders whilst negotiating the best possible outcome for the local area.

I have also worked on a large research project investigating the council’s current understanding of biodiversity net gain (BNG) and finding the answers to some crucial questions that would help the Property team in their ongoing projects. I produced a report on my research, which also provided suggestions to the council for how they could improve their inter-departmental communication and knowledge sharing regarding BNG.

Another highlight of the internship has been the interns’ group project. This year, we promoted grants to increase domestic energy efficiency. It has been brilliant to work with the other interns. I have honed my skills in project management by producing project plans, timelines, and meeting agendas. The production of our printed materials (leaflets, posters, and a banner) was one of the longest-running tasks in our project; I was particularly proud of the successful outcome of this task. It was great to see our group work pay off through the success of our promotional market events.

Everyone at West Suffolk council has been incredibly warm and welcoming! It has been lovely to really feel like part of the team by being given the responsibility to make impactful contributions. Thank you so much to my lovely manager, team, and everyone who has helped me during my time at West Suffolk!