Enter the Building London Planning Awards
2024 INFORMATION AND Guidance
- To enter the awards, download the entry form from the category you wish to enter, further down this page. Full details on where to submit this form to and supporting material required can be found on the form.
- We welcome the submission of projects into more than one category if multiple are relevant. Please ensure you complete and submit the relevant form for each.
- You can enter projects into the competition that have been entered in past years if they have not previously been named a winner or highly commended.
- Planning permission for the project must have been granted no earlier than January 2019 and works must have progressed sufficiently on site for the judges to be able to assess its implementation, ideally to the point of being at least substantially complete or at least partially in use. Planning permission for a project or scheme can either be full planning permission, or reserved matters approval pursuant to an outline permission.
- The shortlist will be decided in May 2024. following which we will organise a visit from the competition judges. Site visits to the shortlisted entries will take place between 6th June – 18th July, so please ensure your project is available to receive a visit from the judges between these dates.
- It’s free of charge to enter
Entries close on Friday 12 April.
If you have any queries about the competition, get in touch.
Click a category name below to read the full criteria against which entries will be judged and download the entry forms.
Best New Place to Live
This award is for schemes that have been designed to optimise affordable housing delivery, alongside high residential quality and place making.
Entries must demonstrate the following criteria:
- Creates good quality and desirable homes
- Quality of amenity provision, landscape design and public realm
- Responds well to its context
- Optimises access to a range of facilities and public transport
- Has the longer-term sustainability legacy of the project been considered, including social, economic and environmental factors?
- What equality, diversity and inclusion issues were identified and how were these considered in designing and developing the project (including any consultation). How were they addressed in the delivery of the final scheme/project/approach?
Best New Place to Work
This award is open to all types of workspaces, from offices to industrial units, showcasing schemes which have successfully optimised well-designed working environments that support modern ways of working.
Entries must demonstrate the following criteria:
- Responds well to its context and creates a high-quality public realm
- Encourages access by walking, cycling and public transport
- Quality of internal working environment and on-site facilities promotes well-being
- Achieves high environmental standards for construction and occupation
- Has the longer-term sustainability legacy of the project been considered including social, economic and environmental factors?
- What equality, diversity and inclusion issues were identified and how were these considered in designing and developing the project (including any consultation). How were they addressed in the delivery of the final scheme/project/approach?
Best Mixed-Use Scheme
This category is for schemes that have successfully balanced a mix of uses such as commercial and residential through good design principles.
Entries must demonstrate the following criteria:
- Demonstrates a diverse mix of uses that responds well to local context
- Demonstrates innovative design in terms of co-location and multi-layering of uses
- Demonstrates a positive impact on the environmental, economic, or social well-being of the community or local area
- High quality public realm and sense of place
- Has the longer-term sustainability legacy of the project been considered?
- What equality, diversity and inclusion issues were identified and how were these considered in designing and developing the project (including any consultation). How were they addressed in the delivery of the final scheme/project/approach?
Best Heritage or Culture Project
Open to all projects with significant heritage assets and/or cultural significance such as the refurbishment/integration of listed buildings and schemes that contribute to the cultural significance of London such as visual and performing arts venues, music venues, film studios, etc.
Entries must demonstrate the following criteria:
- Has led to investment in and/or revitalisation of heritage/cultural assets
- Makes a positive contribution to the local community and economy
- Creates genuine public benefit in terms of accessibility and education
- Demonstrates long term vision for the continued viable use of the site and a sustainability legacy
- What equality, diversity and inclusion issues were identified and how were these considered in designing and developing the project (including any consultation). How were they addressed in the delivery of the final scheme/project/approach?
Best Project for Sustainable Planning
This should include schemes that demonstrate strong sustainability credentials, including carbon management to reach net-zero targets, such as innovative and sustainable construction methods, biodiversity/urban greening and social value.
Entries must demonstrate the following criteria:
- Maximises opportunities to improve biodiversity and access to the natural environment
- Improves, or will improve, air quality
- Improves, or seeks to improve, social and physical well-being and health
- Achieves exemplary standards of environmental performance
- Considers the longer-term sustainability legacy of the project
- What equality, diversity and inclusion issues were identified and how were these considered in designing and developing the project (including any consultation). How were they addressed in the delivery of the final scheme/project/approach?
Best Community Engagement Outcomes
Best Community Engagement Outcomes
This award champions community/stakeholder engagement, such as resident-led design in estate regeneration projects, innovative public consultation methods for development plan documents or exemplary community-led initiatives and schemes.
Entries must demonstrate the following criteria:
- Has an innovative approach to community/stakeholder involvement
- Achieves good local awareness and support for the project
- Has been developed by/with the community from conception.
- Demonstrates a better outcome for a planning application scheme or a development plan document
- What equality, diversity and inclusion issues were identified and how were these considered in designing and developing the project (including any consultation). How were they addressed in the delivery of the final scheme/project/approach?
Best Borough-led project
This award recognises projects or initiatives that have been initiated and led by a Borough, either on its own or in partnership with a private organisation. Entries should show how the project has delivered lasting change either at a community, neighbourhood or Borough-wide level. Projects can include physical interventions such as public realm works, estate regeneration and community/public buildings, or place-making strategies and plan-led spatial strategies, such as area-based masterplans to support a Local Plan.
This award will be given to the entry that most clearly communicates how a project or initiative has delivered positive change to the physical or environmental quality of an area, and/or its economic and social make-up.
Entries must demonstrate the following criteria:
- How the authority has undertaken innovative and pro-active forward planning
- How the authority proactively works in partnership with the private sector, other organisations and the local community in the local area
- Effective use of public funds to achieve best value
- A positive impact on the environmental, economic or social well-being of the community or local area
- What equality, diversity and inclusion issues were identified and how were these considered in designing and developing the project (including any consultation). How were they addressed in the delivery of the final scheme/project/approach?
Mayor’s Award for Good Growth
The winner for this category is chosen from the above category winners. The Mayor will select the project or scheme that most successfully contributes to delivering his six Good Growth principles:
- Building strong and inclusive communities
- Making the best use of land
- Creating a healthy city
- Delivering the homes Londoners need
- Growing a good economy
- Increasing efficiency and resilience