Awards to seek out capital's best-planned developments

Planning, 5 September 2008

The 2008 London Planning Awards are to be launched this month. Jointly run by the RTPI, London First and the Greater London Authority (GLA), the awards recognise achievement and reward excellence in planning across the capital.

RTPI past president Jim Claydon says: "These awards are tremendously important in recognising great planning and great planners and the institute is delighted to continue to support them".

The awards, which are the personal gift of the mayor of London, attracted a wide range of entries last year with winners including Land Securities' New Street Square in New Fetter Lane, Brent Cross Cricklewood Development Partners' town centre project, Hammerson's Bishops Square and the Rubicon housing development in Greenwich submitted by the London & Quadrant Housing Trust. The Unite Group and London Diocesan Board for Schools' Somerset Court, St Mary & St Pancras School was voted best community-based planning initiative.

This year there will be seven award categories - overall best built project, best built project on a community scale, best conceptual project, best new public space, best new place to live, best project to protect communities and best built project five years on. From these categories, the best overall entrant will receive the Mayor's Award for Planning Excellence. Last year's winner was Argent's King's Cross Central project.

Local authorities, consultancies, community groups, developers, public agencies, partnerships and other teams are eligible to enter projects. All entries will be expected to fulfil the objectives of the London Plan and demonstrate how they meet the specific criteria of the award category.

Representing the institute on the judging panel for the second year will be Richard Lemon, a member of RTPI London's regional management board and a senior consultant at Roger Tym & Partners. Other panel members include Kate Vandermeer representing London First and Kevin Reid from the GLA.

The closing date for entries is 20 October and the awards will be presented by the mayor at a reception at City Hall early next year. We are hoping for a large number of entries this year and look forward to seeing you at the presentation.

Debbie Sorkin is RTPI programmes director. Entry forms for the awards can be downloaded from www.rtpi.org.uk or please email awards@rtpi.org.uk.