Thame Neighbourhood Plan wins RTPI Award for Innovative Plan Making

The Thame Neighbourhood Plan was announced as winner in the Innovative Plan Making category of the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence last night.

Tibbalds’ entry was scrutinised by a panel of 24 expert judges following its submission in April. The awards event was chaired by one of the world’s leading planner-architects, Sir Terry Farrell.

Sue Rowlands, Director, Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design, said:

“We are delighted that Tibbalds’ work on the Thame Neighbourhood Plan has been recognised by the RTPI award for Innovative Plan Making. This award is a testament to the way that the various parties involved rose to the challenge of putting in place the first Neighbourhood Plan to allocate land for development. It belongs as much to Thame Town Council, South Oxfordshire District Council and, most importantly, the people of Thame as it does to Tibbalds.”

The plan was prepared by Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design in partnership with Thame Town Council and submitted to South Oxfordshire District Council for examination in December 2012

It is one of the government’s ‘front runners’, containing some very significant policies, including allocating land for 775 new homes and planning for retail growth to support the town centre.

The people of Thame, in Oxfordshire, voted in favour of the Thame Neighbourhood Plan in a referendum held on 2 May 2013. 76% of the parish voted in favour of the plans, with a turnout of 40%.

The Thame Neighbourhood Plan is the first Neighbourhood Plan that allocates sites to go forward for Examination. Tibbalds led the production of the Plan, working closely with Thame Town Council and consultation specialist Jeff Bishop.

The Thame Neighbourhood Plan is ambitious: It not only allocates land for housing, but also plans for retail growth to support the town centre and proposes a ‘Green Living Plan’ to make the town a more sustainable place.

Download and view the Thame Neighbourhood Plan.