A housing project in Plymouth built by veterans, won in the Excellence in Planning for Housing – Large Schemes category at the Royal Town Planning Institute’s RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence 2018 in London last night
The RTPI awards for Planning Excellence are the most established and respected awards in the UK planning industry.
The winning Nelson Project, is an apartment scheme which consists of 12 self-build homes for veterans, six homes for people with learning disabilities and six homes intended for general needs.
The project also includes a communal garden, parking and cycle storage.
Craig McLaren FRTPI, RTPI Awards Advisor said:
“The Nelson Project is a fantastic example of how planners are successfully tackling deprivation in parts of Plymouth through regeneration and the delivery of affordable housing.
“The planners approach to inclusivity, such as ensuring the housing suits people with learning difficulties, has ensured the project paid major social dividends for the local community.”
Running for over 40 years, the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence celebrate the exceptional examples of planning and the contribution planners make to society.
Andrew Jones MRTPI, Practice Leader Design, Planning + Economics at AECOM said:
“AECOM is proud to be a headline sponsor once again of the RTPI’s Awards for Planning Excellence. Those recognised tonight illustrate the best of the planning profession and demonstrate the impact we have on quality and delivery in every area of the built environment. On behalf of AECOM I would like to extend our congratulations to all of the commendations and winners.”
To build the project, the team transformed a deprived ward in the city using funds from a S106 agreement and contributions from developers.
David Jackson MRTPI, Head of Planning, Savills said:
“Savills is delighted to be a headline sponsor of the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence. The winners this year reflect the positive impact planning has on our communities across the UK, Ireland and internationally through projects, plans and people. I’d like to congratulate all of those short-listed for awards and the category winners on behalf of the team at Savills.”
A planning case officer was employed to ensure coherent communication between stakeholders and architects to create a smooth delivery.
The 12 veterans who helped during the project now live in the homes that they built.
