Congratulations to Arkwood Ltd for their nomination Great Ouse Valley Heritage Landscape, winner of Best Project at the RTPI East of England Planning Excellence Awards 2026.

Great Ouse Valley Heritage Landscape, led by Arkwood Ltd, was awarded the winner in the Excellence in Planning the Natural Environment sub-category for demonstrating how visionary planning can deliver landscape scale solutions to the climate and nature emergencies.

Led by consultants Arkwood Ltd in partnership with Huntingdonshire Council, the Great Ouse Valley Trust and local stakeholders, the project establishes a shared, cross-boundary vision for restoring wetlands, floodplain meadows and ecological networks along the River Great Ouse. Its strong environmental ambition is underpinned by a robust evidence base, identifying over 1,300 hectares of lakes and reedbeds and significant opportunities for priority habitat restoration.

By embedding nature-based solutions, green and blue infrastructure, and sustainable land management into the planning framework, the initiative enhances biodiversity, climate resilience and public access. Judges praised its boundary-blind approach, collaborative leadership and commitment to long-term stewardship, recognising it as a pioneering model for landscape-scale planning in England.