Excellence in Plan Making Practice
Overview
This award celebrates outstanding Plan-making practice. An up-to-date, evidence-based and ambitious adopted Plan is the cornerstone of an effective Plan-led system. Development Plans can be supplemented by other spatial planning guidance. We're looking for exceptional work in areas such as:
- Local Development Plans
- Strategic Development Plans
- Supplementary planning documents/guidance
- Spatial Strategies
- Masterplans or Design Codes
- Neighbourhood Plans
- Place Plans
All submissions will need to show how the preparation and/or content of the plan or document goes above and beyond good practice: why does it warrant an award for excellence?
Important: All entries must provide evidence of success, not just intentions. We accept both quantitative metrics and qualitative evidence, including but not limited to:
- Statistical data
- Qualitative assessments
- Survey results
- Visual documentation
- Testimonials
Eligibility
Plans must have been adopted between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2024. Plans that have previously won an RTPI Award for Planning Excellence cannot be resubmitted. Plans that were previously shortlisted or commended may be resubmitted.
Plans must have been formally adopted by the relevant Authority or body and that decision must not be subject to a live judicial review. If a legal challenge to adoption arises following submission, you are required to notify us by emailing [email protected]
Judging criteria
The following questions include prompts to help you answer – these are to provide a guide and you only need to address the prompts that are relevant to your project.
Where possible, please link your answers to the UN sustainable development goals.
All submissions must show how the preparation and/or content of the plan or document goes above and beyond good practice: why does it warrant an award for excellence?
Important: All entries must provide evidence of success, not just intentions. We accept both quantitative metrics and qualitative evidence, including but not limited to:
- Statistical data
- Qualitative assessments
- Survey results
- Visual documentation
- Testimonials
Plans must have been formally adopted by the relevant Authority or body and that decision must not be subject to a live judicial review. If a legal challenge to adoption arises following submission, you are required to notify us by emailing [email protected]
Assessment areas
1. Project Excellence
Explain how your Plan demonstrates excellence in Plan-making, including:
- Creative and innovative policies
- Economic, environmental or community impact
- Meeting local needs
- Creative and innovative approaches to community engagement
- The use of data and evidence to inform policies and allocations
- Measurable outcomes
- How your Plan goes beyond standard practice
2. The role of planners
Highlight the specific contribution of planners to your Plan's success and long-term benefits relevant to this category.
- What lessons / best practice could be taken from your project and applied elsewhere?
- How did planners demonstrate leadership and/or work collaboratively with other professionals?
3. Community and Stakeholder Engagement
Describe your community and stakeholder engagement approach relating to your Plan, highlighting:
- Innovation and reach
- Evidence of the scope and success of the engagement.
- Approaches/methods used to ensure the engagement is accessible and inclusive
- How community feedback and responses have shaped the project
Please include any relevant statistics and reference how the project responded to that feedback.
4. Inclusive Planning
Detail how the Plan addresses barriers and promotes inclusivity e.g. through:
- Creating safe and accessible spaces for all users
- Promoting community health, wellbeing and cohesion
- Reducing poverty and stimulating growth
- Improving access to jobs, economic opportunities and/or homes
- Safeguarding and enhancing the built and/or natural environment.
5. Climate Action
Demonstrate how your Plan is addressing the climate and nature emergencies and overcoming related challenges e.g. through:
- Contribution to net-zero
- Biodiversity enhancement
- Locating development sustainably
- Energy-efficient building design / retrofitting
- Adapting to or mitigating climate change
- Renewable energy / clean heat
- Sustainable use of materials