The Greater Cambridge Shared Planning (GCSP) Service has been crowned Planning Authority of the Year - East of England at the prestigious Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Awards for Planning Excellence.
The win was announced on Wednesday 18 June, during the awards evening showcasing the outstanding planning achievements across the East of England.
This recognition celebrates GCSP’s outstanding commitment to innovation, inclusivity, and excellence in planning. This latest accolade comes after GCSP was awarded the ‘Planning for the Natural Environment Award’ at the recent national Planning Awards 2025.
Formed in 2018 as a partnership between Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council, the team serve as the Local Planning Authority for the Greater Cambridge area. The service has 160 colleagues, of which 32 are Chartered RTPI members, and 21 are working towards Chartered membership. The service processes over 7,000 planning applications annually and has achieved an accreditation for its commitment to quality and continuous improvement.
The RTPI award follows a compelling nomination that showcased the service’s transformative work across Greater Cambridge, including its approaches to biodiversity, youth engagement, and digital innovation.
Among the highlights of GCSP’s award-winning work:
- Youth Engagement Service (YES): A nationally recognised programme giving young people a voice in planning and design, recently winning the Thornton Education Trust’s Social Value Award.
- Biodiversity Net Gain Leadership: GCSP proactively secured over 200 hectares of habitat for biodiversity offsetting, ahead of national policy requirements. This project recently won the ‘Planning for the Natural Environment Award’ at the Planning Awards 2025.
- Inclusive Planning: Through initiatives like the Cambridge Neighbourhoods Design Code, GCSP is tackling inequality and improving access to green spaces in some of the region’s most deprived areas.
- Apprenticeship and Talent Development: A structured programme supporting future planners through hands-on experience and academic study, ensuring a strong pipeline of planning professionals.
Cllr Katie Thornburrow, Cambridge City Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Transport, said: “It’s incredibly rewarding to see our shared planning approach recognised in this way. Planning should empower communities and create places where everyone feels they belong - and this award celebrates that vision becoming reality.”
South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Planning, Cllr Dr. Tumi Hawkins, commented: "This award is a testament to the passion and dedication of our planning team and partners. It reflects our commitment to building fairer, greener communities through inclusive design and engagement - with residents reaping those benefits too. I couldn’t be prouder."
The RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence 2025 showcase and celebrate the best plans, projects and people. The winners for these local awards, become national finalists. The winners will be announced and celebrated on 27 November 2025 in London at the national ceremony.
For more information about the awards, visit the RTPI website.
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