Best Project of the Year Winner
Lowestoft Eastern Energy Facility (LEEF), nominated by Associated British Ports
LEEF demonstrates the importance of partnership working and what can be achieved when public and private sectors and communities work together. The grant of consent for the LEEF Project unlocks the potential for an energy cluster renaissance in Lowestoft, bringing new jobs and prosperity to the area and supporting the substantial and strategically important investments in offshore wind farm developments off the East Anglian coast.
At a national level, LEEF has a major role in providing critical port infrastructure to enable the UK's clean energy transition and path to net zero.
Judges' comments: Exemplary partnership led by ADP to overcome long-established barriers to Lowestoft's future role in the offshore energy industry. East Suffolk Council as the lpa and the MMO have adopted innovative approaches to screening and EIA, which could be used as a model elsewhere. A local planning consultancy and ABmer have provided advice on the challenges experienced by those working in the land-sea interface. The engagement with local residents and businesses had regard to the fishing community's specific challenges after leaving the EU.
Best Project of the Year Highly Commended
Delivery of Critical Healthcare Infrastructure in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic, nominated by Lawson Planning Partnership Ltd.
Combating Covid-19 through urgent planning and delivery of vital healthcare infrastructure was the challenge of the brief. LPP was engaged in providing planning strategy advice to support the provision of these much-needed facilities at two major hospitals.
Masterplans were prepared to guide developments whilst allowing longer-term investments to be coordinated in the future. A combination of emergency procedures, followed by related retrospective planning applications were also used to achieve the planning objectives, all at short notice under severe time constraints. LPP rose to the challenge and played its part in securing improvements to the health and wellbeing of all.
Judges' comments: The consultancy has provided support to a health trust during the pandemic to transform the delivery and transformation of services and facilities. Master planning, retrospective pas and pd were all used to good effect. This project is an excellent example of how the planning profession responded to the challenges of the pandemic positively, delivering significant enhancements to the effectiveness of health facilities.