Stantec wins Planning award for promoting economic growth

Stantec was among the winners at the 2020 Planning Awards, claiming the top prize in the Promoting Economic Growth category for its paper Ambitions for the North: A Spatial Framework for People and Places in the North of England. Stantec was also awarded ‘Highly Commended’ in the Best Use of Brownfield Land in Placemaking category.

The Planning Awards is a prestigious annual UK awards programme that rewards excellence in professional planning work, as well as related activities such as placemaking, urban design, economic development, housing, regeneration, legal advice, environmental consulting and property development. This year the winners were announced during a virtual ceremony that took place on 8-9 September. 

Stantec’s winning entry, Ambitions for the North, was completed with the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and calls for a compelling vision that builds on the strengths of the North, and a joined-up approach to spatial planning across all Northern functional areas.

The entry was warmly received by the judges, who said it “may prove to be a model for other regions to follow in their approach to long-term sustainable growth.”

Commenting on the award win, Bernard Greep, Planning Director, Stantec said, “This award means a lot. Not only does it recognise the hard work and dedication of our teams but this acknowledgement by the industry means our work to help communities prosper and develop in a truly sustainable way is the right way forward. We are committed to helping communities in the North go from strength-to-strength and now we have an award-winning model for them to take advantage of.  We are also delighted that many of the complex topics addressed in Ambitions for the North are echoed in the Government’s Planning White Paper, such as how to properly plan for housing and economic growth, levelling up the North and creating a new direction for our amazing town centres.”

Stantec was also awarded a ‘Highly Commended’ in the Best Use of Brownfield Land in Placemaking category for its work on the Scottish Marine Technology Park. Stantec provided planning, EIA and remediation services to support the client in the first phase of regeneration at the former Oil Terminal in Old Kilpatrick. This heavily contaminated industrial site on the River Clyde will be brought back to life as a centre of excellence for marine manufacturing.

While Stantec was a finalist in three categories - Award for Promoting Economic Growth, Award for Planning for Affordable Housing and Award for Best Use of Brownfield Land in Placemaking – it also played a role in several other shortlisted projects.

• Beam Park, London, was named winner of ‘Best Use of Publicly-owned Land and/or Property in Placemaking’ and received ‘Highly Commended’ in the ‘Planning Permission of the Year’ category.
• The redevelopment of Waterbeach Barracks and Airfield, South Cambridgeshire, was shortlisted for ‘Planning Permission of the Year’.
• Alconbury Weald was shortlisted for ‘Award for Best Use of Heritage in Placemaking’. 
• Luton Town; Power Court and Newlands Park mixed-use developments, was put forward by Pinsent Masons and shortlisted as ‘Planning Law Firm of the Year’.

About Stantec
Communities are fundamental. Whether around the corner or across the globe, they provide a foundation, a sense of place and of belonging. That's why at Stantec, we always design with community in mind.

We care about the communities we serve—because they're our communities too. This allows us to assess what's needed and connect our expertise, to appreciate nuances and envision what's never been considered, to bring together diverse perspectives so we can collaborate toward a shared success.

We're designers, engineers, scientists, and project managers, innovating together at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships. Balancing these priorities results in projects that advance the quality of life in communities across the globe.

Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN. Visit us at stantec.com or find us on social media.

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Stantec Media Relations                               
Ph: (44) 1189-520670                                       
jody.prescott@stantec.com