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Ian Nesbit - Richmondshire District Council

Ian is an Area Planning Officer for Richmondshire District Council and graduated with an MSc in Town Planning from Newcastle University.

"I deal with planning applications and listed building consent applications, answering a wide-range of questions and queries from the public and other public and professional bodies.

"Working in Richmondshire as a planner is great! The large number of listed buildings, conservation areas, traditional barns and ancient monuments all help to add to the high quality of the built environment. These buildings and monuments are set against a backcloth of a truly stunning natural environment, meaning that the historic and traditional buildings complement each other in a way that is unique to Richmondshire. Just look at the view of the castle keep from the southern banks of the River Swale if you don't believe me!

"I can also personally recommend the sandwich shops, cafes and chip shops within Richmondshire Market Place for a tasty lunch-time snack!"

Victoria Simcox - Ministry of Defence

Victoria joined the MOD as a Graduate Estate Surveyor a few months ago after gaining a degree in Rural Enterprise & Land Management at Harper Adams University College, Shropshire.

Her role is focused upon the upkeep and maintenance of the estate including the houses and surrounding land for use by the armed forces.

"A usual day of work involves visiting various villages within the estate. The areas really beautiful and I really enjoy the chance to spend time outdoors," says Victoria. "I'm originally from Somerset and have always lived in the country and have never fancied working in a big city."

"The transport links are great here to say the area's so rural. It takes me 5 minutes to get home where it used to take me an hour to get to school back in Somerset. It's also really easy to visit family back home as the trains here are great."

Victoria says she found it really easy to relocate to the area and managed to find accommodation easily and cheaply compared to the prices down South.

"Everybody within the community is extremely friendly and everything feels really close by. I also own a horse and was able to bring him with me when I moved which was a real bonus.

"It's great to feel like your whole week isn't just taken up by work as you get plenty of time here for other things. It's especially good if you like outdoor activities such as horse riding, hiking and mountain biking."