Our planning consultancy team Marrons Planning, alongside Leicester City Council, has been highly commended in the category for Excellence in Planning for a Successful Economy at the national Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Awards for Planning Excellence 2021.
They received the commendation at last night’s virtual awards for their involvement in the Great Central Square project in Leicester.
The RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence are the most established and respected awards in the UK planning industry. Running for over 40 years, they celebrate exceptional examples of planning and the contribution planners make to society.
Great Central Square is a £60m regeneration scheme connecting the Waterside area of Leicester to the heart of the city centre. The scheme comprises two hotels, 33,000 sq. ft. of Class A office space and the refurbishment of the former Great Central Railway Station to 20,000 sq. ft. of leisure space. The scheme includes a pedestrian super-crossing and public open realm and occupies one of the most prominent positions in Leicester city centre, directly opposite John Lewis and Highcross Shopping Centre. It has been a catalyst for a £200m regeneration renaissance in the city and its delivery is a great exemplar of public and private sector co-operation.
Excellence in Planning for a Successful Economy
The award for ‘Excellence in Planning for a Successful Economy’ recognises projects that support and promote a successful prosperous economy.
On awarding Marrons Planning and Leicester City Council with the commendation the judges said:
“They were impressed by the development of this long standing brownfield site in the Leicester city centre. The project kept multiplier value in the local area by keeping the majority of investment within a 30 mile radius of the site and provided apprenticeships, employment and training. The judges were impressed by the community benefit of the project.”
Commenting on the recognition, Brian Mullin, head of Marrons Planning, said:
“I’m absolutely thrilled that the team has been endorsed by our RTPI peers, especially at national level, and being up against some excellent projects. This achievement is a fantastic acknowledgement of the contribution that Marrons Planning and Leicester City Council has made to the city, as well as recognising the value of working partnerships with the public sector.
“The team are worthy winners and we are all very proud of the positive difference our work makes to help transform local communities, environments and economies.”
Planning Consultancy of the Year finalist
In addition for being commended for our work on Great Central Square, Marrons Planning was also recognised as a finalist in the prestigious national award for ‘Planning Consultancy of the Year’. This follows being named as the winners of the coveted award at the regional East Midlands awards back in November 2020.
On being recognised as finalists at the national awards Brian Mullin said:
“I’m absolutely thrilled that the team has been endorsed by our national RTPI peers. As a firm we are proud and fortunate to have a team with great depth and superb technical knowledge who strive to consistently deliver excellent results by understanding our clients’ objectives and building lasting relationships.”
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