Grainger’s Wellesley development in Aldershot was awarded Planning Permission of the Year at the inaugural Planning Awards 2014, held at The Royal Society of Medicine, London on Tuesday 18th November by Planning Magazine. The awards celebrate outstanding achievement in planning work by all key players in the planning system.
The judges praised Grainger for the impressive reuse of brownfield land for a scheme that would offer major social, environmental and economic benefits.
Wellesley was up against five other finalists in its category including Morley’s Green in Romsey, Hampshire and the Dollis Valley estate regeneration in Barnet, North London.
Rushmoor Borough Council granted outline planning permission for the development in July 2013, which will see 3,850 new homes built in Aldershot and see the town expand significantly for the first time in 100 years. It will also include two new primary schools, more secondary school places - together with new green spaces, community and sports facilities.
The development will also see some of the town’s historic and listed military buildings, including Cambridge Military Hospital and Headquarters 4Th Division, refurbished and brought back into to use as homes and community facilities.
John Beresford, Development Director at Grainger plc, said: “We are delighted to have won Planning Permission of the Year for Wellesley and we are pleased that all of our hard work throughout the planning process and community consultation has been recognised. We work extremely hard and enjoy what we do but we could not have done it without the strong leadership and support from Rushmoor Borough Council who have assisted with the scheme greatly.”
Jonathan Steele, Planning Director at Savills, said: "Wellesley has been a really exciting and challenging project for the team to deliver which has involved a whole range of technical skills and services. Planning for nearly 4000 homes on the edge of a Special Protection Area and on an important historic site has required a very coordinated, balanced planning strategy which has been achieved through a strong partnership between the team and Rushmoor Borough Council sharing the same common goal to deliver the vision of Wellesley.
Councillor Gareth Lyon, Chairman of the Development Management Committee at Rushmoor Borough Council said: "Rushmoor Borough Council is very proud of this recognition for the outstanding work which our planning team and Grainger have put into Wellesley. The award is thoroughly deserved and we look forward to continuing to work hard on the development over the years ahead and to making Wellesley a great place to live for our residents."
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