Fakenham's fingers crossed for RTPI recognition

Copyright NNDC

Fakenham will hear this week whether it has won one of the Royal Town Planning Institute's prestigious Planning Achievement Awards for its town centre regeneration work.

The Fakenham Town Centre Regeneration programme is one of 27 finalists in the RTPI's annual award scheme, competing against projects in places like Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds.

Fakenham's scheme has been submitted in three of 11 categories: Planning for Regeneration, Planning for the Public Realm, and Planning for People and Places in Rural England. The scheme is also a contender for the overall award - the Silver Jubilee Cup.

The programme of environmental improvement and public art works, which was carried out last year by a broad partnership of community organisations, has already won design awards from the British Council of Shopping Centres, the Norfolk Society, and the East of England branch of the RTPI.

Councillor Roy Haynes, North Norfolk District Council's Portfolio Member for Environmental Services, will attend the award ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on Wednesday (30 January). The awards are due to be presented at 3pm.

Councillor Haynes said: "Fakenham is in illustrious company, and it's a tribute to the Fakenham Regeneration Partnership that this North Norfolk scheme is of such a high quality that it ranks alongside these high-profile projects.

"Just being a finalist is exciting enough. But Fakenham deserves, and has already won, recognition for what has been achieved in the town centre. I am confident that it will go on winning."