THE Swindon town centre masterplan has been shortlisted for a national planning excellence award.

The design, dreamed up by Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners who were commissioned by Swindon Council to undertake the project, has been shortlisted in the category of innovative planning practice in plan-making, along with five other schemes.

Ian Piper, of Forward Swindon, who managed the Planning Swindon Together process on behalf of Swindon Council, said: “We are excited about the shortlisting for Swindon’s Masterplan, because we designed the process to be highly inclusive, involving community interest groups, residents, business leaders and landowners, to try to capture as many views as possible.

“The result has been a plan which reflects as many interests as possible, and has cross party endorsement.

“Forward Swindon is now busy implementing the regeneration projects identified in the Masterplan, including the next phase of Kimmerfields, which we announced recently.”

A record number of entries have been shortlisted for the Royal Town Planning Institute Awards for Planning Excellence. The awards will be contested by 63 projects, consultancies and local authority teams competing across ten categories.

Chairing the panel of 24 expert judges is Sir Terry Farrell, one the world’s leading architect planners.

He is also author of the recent Farrell Review, a UK government-commissioned review of architecture and the built environment.

He said: “The standard of entries to the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence is extremely impressive and a credit to the profession.

“This is the second year I have chaired the judging and I am proud to say that once again our shortlist reflects the best planning projects, strategies and processes that are helping to make great places for people to live and work.

“It will be far from easy to pick individual category winners, but I am looking forward, with my fellow awards judges, to that exciting challenge.

“I anticipate celebrating some truly outstanding examples of planning.”

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony to be held at The Shaw Theatre in the Pullman London St Pancras on June 23.

The Silver Jubilee Cup, the UK’s top planning prize will also be presented on the night.