Two projects and a member of staff at Dorset County Council have been shortlisted in a national awards scheme to celebrate excellence in local government.

Work by the council, including its unique approach to looking after verges, has been recognised in different categories in the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards 2019.

The council's innovative ecological approach to highway verge management has been shortlisted in the Environmental Services category; partnership work to deliver social, economic and environmental benefits to the coast has been shortlisted in the Public/Private Partnerships category; transport planning team leader Kate Tunks has been shortlisted in the Rising Star category.

The maintenance of highway verges is an important but costly undertaking for local authorities. With the squeeze on public finance, councils have less money to satisfy the demand. Dorset County Council (DCC) is taking an innovative ecological approach to managing verges, reducing soil fertility through the collection of grass cuttings.

It also introduces species of flowering plants which restrict grass growth and ensure low nutrient soils are used in road construction. The result is slow growing, beautiful wildflower verges which attract and sustain pollinating insects. It also saves money as the verges need less cutting.

In terms of its work on the coast, this is done by the Dorset Coast Forum (DCF), an independent, non-political coastal partnership with a strong network of more than 1,000 members from more than 260 organisations.

Established in 1995, DCF has grown and become a well-respected body. It works in partnership to deliver social, economic and environmental benefits to the Dorset coast. This include improving access to coastal paths, regeneration of coastal areas, attracting visitors and working to keep beaches litter free.

Kate Tunks, meanwhile, was appointed as team leader for transport planning in 2015. She is said to make a massive contribution to people’s social and economic well-being by making sure that the transport infrastructure is in place.

Since her appointment, Dorset has received £62.5 million in Government grants for new developments.

LGC editor Nick Golding said: “The councils that have been shortlisted for an LGC Award are among the most innovative – and their innovation is providing the best services for residents, despite local government facing enormous budget cuts.

“The officers and councillors of shortlisted councils deserve enormous credit for thinking of new ways to deliver the best services, ensuring vital services thrive in the era of austerity.”

The winners will be announced at a ceremony on March 13, 2019 at Grosvenor House, London.