North East Awards for Planning Excellence Shortlist
The RTPI North East Awards for Planning Excellence 2025 showcase and celebrate the best plans, projects and people.
Congratulations to the following entries who have been selected for our 2025 shortlist:
Best Project
Hopetown Darlington entered by Darlington Borough Council
Lambton Park entered by Lichfields
Monkwearmouth Hospital entered by Argon Group
Northumbria Health and Care Academy entered by Lichfields 
Riverside Sunderland Regeneration Maker & Faber Offices and Wear Footbridge entered by DPP Planning
The Rising at Raby Castle, Park and Gardens entered by Raby Castle, Park and Gardens
The Story entered by Kier Construction
Whitley Court entered by Vistry Group
Teams and People
Mid-Size Planning Consultancy of the Year
Ethical Planning
Fairhurst
Young Planner of the Year*
Jack Osgerby, Pegasus Group
Samantha Wightman, Newcastle City Council
“2025 has been a truly exceptional year for entries to our North East Planning Awards with the quality and breadth of the submissions being some of the best I have seen since joining our regional committee.
It has been fantastic to see such a strong mix of public and private sector projects reflecting the incredible work our Members are doing across the North East. The strength of the Young Planner of the Year nominations this year is also testament to the ambition, drive and determination of the future leaders in our profession. Our judges have had quite the task whittling down the wide range of entries to determine this year’s shortlist.
I am delighted to be acting as your regional Chair this year and to be able to showcase the fantastic work our Members are doing across our region to deliver high quality, healthy and sustainable places for our communities. I am looking forward to announcing our winners and celebrating with you at our awards dinner next month.” Dominic Crowley MRTPI, North East Regional Chair
Join us to celebrate regional excellence
Now that our regional shortlist is out, we are looking forward to meeting and giving recognition to the planners and teams who have delivered such inspiring work this past year.
We hope you can join us for our North East Awards Dinner on Friday 27 June where we will be announcing and honouring our local winners. The celebration event will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Newcastle.
A stepping stone to our national celebration
All the North East Awards local winning entries will be put forward for the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence national awards*. The national finalists will be announced in mid-October. And the winners will be honoured at a celebration ceremony taking place in London on 27 November.
*All Young Planner of the Year winners will be entered into the national shortlist and will be judged by the national judges and the top five will become national finalists.
Sponsors
Our sponsors are Headline Sponsor EDF Renewables UK and Ireland, Ceremony Sponsors Banks Property and Homes, Hedley Planning Services, Lichfields, Origin Planning Services, Ward Hadaway LLP and Young Planner of the Year Category Sponsor Vistry North East.
For more information
For questions about the shortlisting and celebration event please visit the awards hub or contact Kim Walker, RTPI North East Regional Coordinator.
