The Stonebridge housing estate in Brent, the London 2012 Olympic Park, Leicester Square, Croydon Metropolitan Centre and the BBC’s New Broadcasting House have all been shortlisted for the prestigious 10th anniversary London Planning Awards 2013.
Organised by London First, in conjunction with the Mayor of London, the Royal Town Planning Institute and London Councils, the London Planning Awards are the “Oscars” of the planning and development sector, celebrating the outstanding contribution of planners to the capital’s urban renaissance.
Stonebridge Estate Regeneration, nominated for Best Built Project – five years on, was once notorious as one of the worst housing estates in the country for poverty and social exclusion. Over a 12 year period, the regeneration programme has reduced vandalism, graffiti and crime, through the provision of affordable homes, three new parks, a community centre, a Primary Care Trust Health Centre and sports facilities.
This year’s entries continue to raise the standard of nominations and promote awareness of good practice. Other contenders shortlisted in this category include The Duke of York Square development in the King’s Road, The Roundhouse in Camden and Granary Square in King’s Cross.
Contenders are nominated by members of London First with the final shortlist judged by a panel of experts from the GLA, London First, the Royal Town Planning Institute and London Councils. The awards will be presented by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, at a ceremony at City Hall on 31 January 2013 attended by leading developers and prominent local government officials.
To celebrate 10 years of planning in London, this year the London Planning Awards include a special 10th anniversary award for the greatest contribution to Planning and Development over the last decade. The names of shortlisted candidates will be released nearer the time.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: “For more than a decade these awards have inspired us with new ideas to create places and spaces that make our great city an even better place to live, work and invest. Once again we have a fantastic awards shortlist and I'm looking forward to sifting through them to find the winners that will raise the benchmark for great planning and design in the capital.”
Baroness Jo Valentine, Chief Executive, London First, said: “In such an iconic year for London, this year’s impressive shortlist highlights the diversity of planning in our capital and showcases the range of schemes that we know London is capable of delivering; from large scale projects to outer borough estate regeneration.”
Colin Haylock, RTPI President said: “The amazingly diverse shortlist is a tribute to the innovative nature of planners, and a recognition of the very wide ranging skills that planners have. What the shortlist shows is whether it’s breathing new life into an estate or helping to create the exceptional Olympic site, no challenge is too small, too large, or too difficult for planners to take on.”
