Greater Norwich Local Plan wins top regional planning award
The Greater Norwich Local Plan (GNLP) has been named Best Plan of the Year at the prestigious Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) East of England Awards, held last night (18 June). This accolade recognises the plan’s outstanding contribution to shaping a sustainable and prosperous future for the sub-region.
In a further celebration of local planning excellence, the Planning Team at South Norfolk and Broadland District Councils received a Highly Commended award in the Planning Team of the Year category—highlighting their innovation, dedication, and collaborative approach.
This regional success follows national recognition just last week, when the GNLP was Highly Commended at the Planning Awards 2025, cementing its reputation as a leading example of strategic, community-focused planning.
Both awards celebrate excellence in planning and placemaking, honouring projects that demonstrate innovation, impact, and strong cross-sector collaboration.
Councillor Daniel Elmer, Chair of the Greater Norwich Development Partnership and Leader of South Norfolk Council, said:
“An enormous amount of hard work went into creating this plan, and the teams across all of the councils involved should feel incredibly proud. Being recognised in these awards is a remarkable achievement—and a clear testament to the strength of our partnership. Congratulations to all of our planners who are helping shape the future of Greater Norwich.
Adopted in March 2024, the GNLP was developed by the Greater Norwich Development Partnership, comprising Broadland District Council, Norwich City Council, and South Norfolk Council, with support from Norfolk County Council and the Broads Authority.
The plan sets out a bold and strategic vision for growth across Broadland, Norwich, and South Norfolk—aligning housing delivery with low-carbon economic development, environmental stewardship, infrastructure investment, and climate resilience.
For nearly two decades, this voluntary partnership has provided a stable and trusted platform for delivering joined-up, strategic planning—making the GNLP a model for sub-regional plan-making in line with the government’s emphasis on collaborative planning.
The GNLP will now go forward to the RTPI National Awards, to be held later this year.
For more information about the Greater Norwich Local Plan and the partnership, please visit gnlp.org.uk
Published: 19 June 2025