On Thursday 2 July, we won, alongside our partners, at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Awards for Planning Excellence Awards, highlighting the strength, innovation and impact of planning across the district.
The Marsden Blueprint
The Marsden Blueprint won the category for Excellence in Plan Making Practice. The Marsden Blueprint is the masterplan for the town, and a community-led vision for the future of the village and is part funded by UK Government, bringing together heritage, sustainability and economic growth in a single, deliverable strategy.
Through innovative engagement and a robust evidence base, the plan responds directly to local needs while supporting development, improved connectivity and enhanced public spaces.
The Dewsbury Arcade
The Dewsbury Arcade regeneration project was shortlisted in Excellence in Planning for Heritage and Culture. Showcasing heritage-led regeneration in practice, transforming a Grade II listed Victorian arcade into a vibrant, accessible and commercially viable town centre destination.
Delivering High-Quality, Place-Based Planning
Together, these projects demonstrate a consistent approach to delivering high-quality, place-based planning, combining strong evidence, community engagement and a focus on long-term outcomes.
Despite their different scales and contexts, both projects share a commitment to, community-led and collaborative planning, deliverable outcomes, sustainable and low-carbon approaches and supporting economic growth and town centre vitality.
David Shepherd, Executive Director of Place at Kirklees Council said:
“To have two of our regeneration schemes recognised in the Planning Excellence Awards is something we’re really proud of. It reflects the strength and consistency of the planning work happening across Kirklees and highlights the skills and expertise of our teams.
This win for The Marsden Blueprint shows how we’re working closely with our communities and partners to create places that really matter- shaping a long-term vision for the town.”
Anthony Benson, Director, Allies and Morrison said:
“Preparing the Marsden Blueprint was collaborative planning at its best. We were appointed by an engaged, informed and dedicated steering group that brought together local businesses, residents and politicians. All were fundamental to the project’s success.
Whilst Marsden will benefit from the planning guidance we developed, the process we followed also provides a valuable blueprint for how locally based strategies should be prepared.”
Tom Lonsdale, Chair of Marsden Blueprint Partnership said:
‘’The quality of pure planning work on this project is rightly attributable to Allies and Morrison, but the real underlying strength was in the exceptional working arrangements between the Council, consultants and community. Marsden people campaigned for many years to secure funding for the masterplan and were overjoyed when Kirklees established the Marsden Blueprint Partnership, creating a genuinely collaborative approach from the outset.
Marsden’s own What Matters to Marsden community questionnaire helped shape the brief and, rather than having to work out how to engage local people, the Council and community effectively operated as a joint client, working together to inform and guide the project throughout.’’
The RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence celebrate outstanding achievements across the planning profession, recognising projects that deliver meaningful, lasting benefits for communities.