RTPI East Midlands Planning Awards: plan to exploit benefits of HS2 among winners

The HS2 Emerging Growth Strategy, the plan to maximise the economic benefits of HS2 in the East Midlands, is among six winners at the RTPI East Midlands Planning Awards. The winners were announced at a ceremony in Nottingham last night.

The HS2 Emerging Growth Strategy has been driven by local councillors as a way of enabling local action to benefit the area from the investment of the national project. The judges noted the plan included large scale engagement which helped achieve consensus.  The plan also identifies opportunities for local employment and increasing accessibility focused around four key strategic priorities for the area.

The awards, hosted by the Chair of the RTPI East Midlands, Michael Braithwaite said: “These awards celebrate some excellent achievements in the planning profession. I am very proud of the positive impact that town planners in the East Midlands have had on our built environment over the last year”.

Town planners are responsible for planning the world we live in.  Good planning is about balancing the needs of the environment with the needs of people for places to live, work and play, for food and for energy to fuel factories, transport and homes. The awards recognise and celebrate those who have excelled in planning in 2016 and have made a positive impact on planning and development. The awards ceremony was sponsored by Waterman and Shakespeare Martineau.

Full list of winners:

Development Scheme of the Year    

Witham St Hugh’s (formerly RAF Swinderby),  Lincolnshire submitted by Aspbury Planning Limited

Plan of the Year         

Winner: East Midlands HS2 Emerging Growth Strategy

Highly Commended: North Northants Joint Core Strategy

Consultancy Team of the Year          

Marrons Planning based at Leicester Meridian Business Park

Local Authority Team of the Year      

Nottingham City Council, Planning Services Team

Young Planner of the Year    

Winner: Jenny Keen, Marrons Planning

Highly Commended: Jenny Salt, Fisher German

Chairman's Award     

Hugh Ellis, Town and Country Planning Association

Image: East Midlands HS2 Strategic Board

Read how the evening unfolded on Twitter: #RTPIEMAwards