Winner - East Riding of Yorkshire Council
East Riding of Yorkshire Council has one of the busiest planning departments in the country (18th overall and 4th busiest for major applications), dealing with over 5000 applications per year. The Development Management service has over 100 staff across planning, enforcement and specialist teams of validation, highways, design, conservation, trees and ecology. The council has 4 area-based planning teams, and a strategic team dealing with the authority’s largest applications and NSIPs.
The judges said: "The Planning Department of East Riding of Yorkshire Council has undertaken a planning services improvement project that has been successfully implemented to improve quality and speed of planning application processes. This led to a more efficient planning service overall coupled with improved well-being of planning staff and improved customer satisfaction."
Commended - North Lincolnshire Council
North Lincolnshire Council's Development Management Service provide a high quality efficient service through innovative all systems approaches to projects. The team play a key role in achieving the UK’s net zero and energy security targets. This includes critical energy and decarbonisation projects, which must be delivered for the UK to reach net zero by 2050. From carbon capture and storage to low carbon hydrogen, these projects are the answer to the challenge of decarbonising industry and delivering clean energy for the future. All while securing the best outcomes for local communities no matter the scale of the project.
Commended - Bradford Metropolitan Council
Bradford’s Planning Service is at the forefront of transformative regeneration, delivering sustainable development, economic growth, and cultural vibrancy ahead of UK City of Culture 2025. The team excels in innovation, problem-solving, and community engagement, ensuring inclusive, high-quality planning solutions. Through strong partnerships, they enable major projects like One City Park, Bradford Live, and City Village, Townscape Heritage Scheme while integrating climate action and heritage protection. Their solution-focused approach, collaborative working, and commitment to excellence have earned widespread recognition from stakeholders, making them a model for best practice in planning and a strong contender for RTPI Planning Authority of the Year.