Schemes shortlisted for national awards

The Exe Estuary Trail and the new community of Cranbrook have both been shortlisted for a prestigious industry award by the Royal Town Planning Institute.

The Trail and the Cranbrook scheme are finalists in the category of 'Excellence in Planning to Deliver Infrastructure' category in the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence 2015.

The award winning RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence highlight exceptional examples of planning and celebrate the contribution that planners and planning make to society.

Both schemes will be up against some of the best examples of planning in the country and winners will be announced at an Awards Ceremony on Monday 6 July at the Pullman London St Pancras, hosted by The Rt Hon Nick Raynsford, the chair of the judges.

The RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence is also where the Silver Jubilee Cup has been awarded annually since 1977 to the entry judged to be the most outstanding from amongst the individual winners in the different categories.

The £17M Exe Estuary Trail is a cycle and walking route that extends over 16 miles set within the backdrop of the Exe Estuary, on Devon’s south coast. It is a largely off road facility linking Exeter Quay, at the heart of the city and the head of the Exe Estuary, to the coastal towns of Exmouth and Dawlish.

In the most part, the route runs parallel to the estuary side railway lines allowing public access to the environment and wildlife and is designed for both leisure and commuter use.

Along the trail there is a network of automatic cycle counters which record every cycle trip on the route. Comparison data from 2011/2014 shows that there has been a 42% increase in usage of the trail over that period from 181,581 to 257,189 cycle trips.

Cabinet member for Highway Management, Councillor Stuart Hughes said: “As well as being a fantastic tourist asset the route also connects over 80,000 Devon residents with the City of Exeter. For many this means commuting by bike is a real and attractive opportunity with data showing that around 30% of trips are made during commuter periods. There are also multiple businesses on the estuary that have benefited from the trail and a number that have specifically been set because of it. Existing pubs, shops and cafes alongside the route have all benefited from the extra footfall.”

Cranbrook is a new community in East Devon located seven miles east of Exeter City Centre and developed in partnership with the Exeter & East Devon Growth Point, and Exeter City Council. It has the potential to accommodate over 7,500 new homes over the next 20 years.

Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, Councillor Andrew Leadbetter said; "I am really pleased to hear of Cranbrook's inclusion in these awards. It demonstrates the result of working in collaboration with other local authorities and agencies and what can be achieved by a strong partnership. A new bus service for Cranbrook started at the end of May 2013 and work on the new Cranbrook railway station is underway. Construction has also started on neighbourhood shops and the new primary school is up and running. With its integrated transport routes and proximity to Exeter, we think it provides a fantastic place to live "

Janet Askew, President of the Royal Town Planning Institute said: “The shortlist reflects the very best planning projects, strategies and processes that are helping to make great places for people to live and work. The 80 finalists highlight exceptional examples of planning that have made an impact and brought considerable benefits. It will be a tremendous challenge picking individual category winners from such a high quality field.”