South East Awards for Planning Excellence Shortlist

The RTPI South 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 Plan
- Mole Valley Local Plan entered by Mole Valley District Council,
- Epsom Town Centre Masterplan entered by Epsom and Ewell Borough council
- Design for Gravesham entered by Levitt Bernstein and Gravesham Borough Council
Best Project
- The Milton Park (2024) Local Development Order entered by Vale of White Horse District Council and MEPC
- Winchester EV Superhub entered by Lone Wolf Planning Ltd is submitting on behalf of the collaborating developers; Enviromena and InstaVolt
- Fortis House, Henwood entered by DHA Planning
- Foy House, Margate entered by Thanet District Council
- KMMS Medical Student Accommodation, Tunbridge Wells Hospital, Kent entered by DHA Planning
- Reuben College entered by Savills
- Worthing Integrated Care Centre entered by Worthing Borough Council / ArchitecturePLB
- Sea Lanes entered by Lewis and Co Planning SE Ltd
- Ightham Mote Visitor Reception and Shop entered by DHA Planning
- Lancing Fives Court entered by Lewis and Co Planning SE Ltd
- Lower Darent Riverside Strategy entered by Dartford Borough Council and Arup
- Winchester Nutrient Mitigation Strategy entered by Winchester City Council and the Partnership for South Hampshire
- Wealden District Council- Southern Water LPA Stakeholder Group entered by Wealden District Council
Planning Authority of the Year
- Crawley Borough Council
- Wealden District Council
Small Planning Consultancy of the Year
- Archadia (UK) Ltd t/a WWA Studios
- Varsity Town Planning
- Graham Simpkin Planning Ltd
Mid-Size Planning Consultancy of the Year
- Bloomfields
- Lewis and Co Planning SE Ltd
Young Planner of the Year
- Amelia Powell
- Laura Eacott
- Harry McCorkell
- Zac Denton
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 South East celebration event on Thursday 3 July where we will be announcing and honouring our local winners. The Awards dinner ceremony will be held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in Oxford.
A stepping stone to our national celebration
All the South West 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 Wates Developments, Park Avenue Recruitment, Vistry Group and DHA Planning.

Wates Developments
Headline/Ceremony Sponsor

Wates Developments
Headline/Ceremony Sponsor
Wates Developments, part of the fourth-generation, family-owned Wates Group, specialises in residential land, planning, and development across the South, West, Midlands, and Home Counties. Guided by our purpose—reimagining places for people to thrive—we partner with landowners to secure valuable planning consents that unlock land potential where new homes are needed most. Our financial strength, corporate stability, and long-term commitment make us a trusted partner for landowners and developers alike.
We maintain a large and growing portfolio of residential development land and invest in development schemes through joint ventures with house builder delivery partners. Building communities from the ground up, we create sustainable, inclusive developments that enhance biodiversity, support economic resilience, and strengthen community well-being.
With a team of experienced professionals and a focus on integrity, innovation, and lasting value, we aim to be the UK’s leading sustainable land promoter, leaving a positive legacy for future generations.
www.wates.co.uk/services/develop
“Wates Developments is proud to sponsor the RTPI South East Awards for Planning Excellence 2025, celebrating the transformative impact of planning professionals across our region. As a family-owned business with deep roots in the South East, we are committed to reimagining places for people to thrive. Supporting these awards reflects our dedication to sustainable, inclusive development and our belief in the power of planning to shape vibrant, resilient communities.”

Vistry
Sponsor of the Young Planner of the Year category

Vistry
Sponsor of the Young Planner of the Year category
Vistry Group is the UK’s leading provider of mixed-tenure homes. Our purpose as a responsible developer is to work in partnership to deliver sustainable homes, communities, and social value, leaving a lasting legacy of places people love.
Operating across 26 regions, we build homes for those who need them right across the UK, including Devon, Cornwall and Bristol. We sell homes on the open market through the Group’s three respected housebuilding brands: Bovis Homes, Linden Homes, and Countryside Homes.
We are a multi award-winning housebuilder and the Group has again been awarded the 5 Star Rating by the Home Builders Federation following the latest industry’s Customer Satisfaction Survey.
Vistry is committed to encouraging young people into the industry and ensuring we provide a wide variety of trainee, apprenticeships, graduate and continued development opportunities. Our young people within the industry will be the leaders in the future, therefore this award provides Vistry with an excellent opportunity to recognise excellence in this category.

DHA Planning
Sponsor of the Local Planning Authority of the Year category

DHA Planning
Sponsor of the Local Planning Authority of the Year category
DHA is the largest independent multi-disciplinary planning consultancy in the South East, offering town planning & development, transport, design, environmental impact, infrastructure and land advice to clients across the UK.
Founded in 1986, DHA has been built on the performance of its expert and highly motivated team, thanks to its investment in staff development and a commitment to delivering high quality support and planning advice.
Website: www.dhaplanning.co.uk

Park Avenue Recruitment
Sponsor of the Best Project category

Park Avenue Recruitment
Sponsor of the Best Project category
Park Avenue Recruitment work in partnership with local authorities nationwide, finding rewarding roles for Planners looking for contract positions. Each of our consultants has a wealth of knowledge local to your area, will offer career advice and introduce you to contacts who can advance your professional development. Drop the team a message at [email protected] to have a confidential chat about how we could further your career.
For more information
For questions about the shortlisting and celebration event please visit the awards hub or contact Susan Millington, RTPI South East Regional Coordinator.