Dramatic cliff path one of five RTPI Northern Ireland planning award winners

A dramatic coastal path, called 'The Gobbins', on a cliff edge in County Antrim is one of five winners at the 2015 RTPI Northern Ireland Planning Awards. The Gobbins is a £7.5m project to restore The Gobbins Cliff Path in Islandmagee to its former glory as one of the top tourism attractions in Northern Ireland.

Roisin Willmott, Director, RTPI Wales and Northern Ireland said:

“This finalists in this year’s RTPI Northern Ireland Planning Awards were all of a very high calibre. I know that the judges had a very difficult time deciding the category winners. The winners represent excellence in planning and the social, environmental and economic benefits planning delivers each and every day in Northern Ireland. Congratulations to all of the winners.”

The full list of winners (pictured above with RTPI Northern Ireland Chair Neil Dunlop) are:

Nature and Conservation

The Gobbins, County Antrim

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council

Sustainable Community and Regeneration

Healthy Living Centre, Belcoo, County Fermanagh

Keys and Monaghan Architects on behalf of Lakeland Community Care

Planning for Rural Areas              

New Branch Library, Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh

Keys and Monaghan Architects on behalf of Libraries NI

Urban Development and Built Environment               

Living Places – An Urban Stewardship and Design Guide for Northern Ireland

Planning Policy Division, Department for Environment Northern Ireland

Judges’ Choice

Living Places – An Urban Stewardship and Design Guide for Northern Ireland

Planning Policy Division, Department for Environment Northern Ireland

There were 2 other finalists:

• Design Guide for Social Housing in Rural Northern Ireland, submitted by GM Design Associates Limited in partnership with Rural Housing Association
• Village Regeneration Project, submitted by Fold Housing Association

The RTPI NI Planning Awards were presented at a ceremony at the Titanic Building by RTPI NI Chair, Neil Dunlop.

The newly relaunched awards recognise those outstanding contributions to communities, regeneration and the built and natural environment throughout the four categories, which are Sustainable Community and Regeneration, Planning for Rural Areas, Urban Development and the Built Environment and the Judges’ Choice Award.

Finalists demonstrated outstanding achievement judged to have significantly advanced the science and art of town planning for the benefit of the community, or provide an outstanding example of the beneficial impact of positive planning.