Planning Awards 2025
- Category: News
- Date Published: 26th March 2025
- CONTACTS: Tom Lawson, Ailish Collins, Jan Donovan, Sean Tickle
Great projects, strong collaborations, and a dedicated team—Rolfe Judd Planning is proud to be shortlisted four times this year at the Planning Awards.
Southwark Fire Station has been selected for the Award for Infrastructure Planning, Streatham Vale is running for the Best Housing Scheme (fewer than 500 homes), and Walworth Town Hall is shortlisted for Best Use of Heritage and for the Award for Promoting Economic Growth. These nominations highlight our commitment to shaping successful places and delivering positive planning outcomes.
The Streatham Vale redevelopment, designed by Mae for Hadley Property Group and Clarion Housing Group, will transform a retail warehouse into a residential-led, mixed-use scheme. It will deliver 237 high-quality homes, including 35% affordable housing, in four buildings up to 14 storeys, incorporating a mix of tenures, with social rent, shared own-ership, and private units, meeting Lambeth’s and London’s housing needs. The project will also enhance biodiversity, integrate sustainable design features, and introduce a circa 500 sqm GP Surgery alongside including a cycle hub and green landscaping, promoting community well-being through quality living spaces and vibrant public realms.
This scheme is poised to deliver a significant positive impact on the physical, environmental, economic, and social well-being of the community. Designed with sustainability, inclusivity, and community enhancement at its core, the scheme will transform a disused retail warehouse into a vibrant, mixed-use development that meets modern urban living needs.
Southwark Fire Station, designed by Collado Collins for Hadson, integrates critical infrastructure to deliver a 6-form entry secondary school, a sixth form, and 199 residential units, addressing local education and housing needs. This innovative scheme restores and repurposes historic Grade II listed buildings into vibrant community assets while introducing new facilities. The school and sports hall meet exemplary design standards and align with policy goals to enhance education and community access.
The scheme sets a high standard for sustainability, achieving a 35% reduction in carbon emissions through efficient building fabric, a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system, and photovoltaic panels. It meets BREEAM Excellent standards for educational facilities and incorporates landscaped public spaces to enhance biodiversity and mitigate urban heat effects. This redevelopment is a model of how planning can deliver tangible benefits for communities while respecting historical and environmental contexts. It aligns with key national and regional planning policies, including the London Plan and Southwark Core Strategy, addressing critical shortages in school places and housing.
Walworth Town Hall, designed by Feix & Merlin for General Projects, is a sensitive redevelopment of two Grade II listed buildings, revitalising them into a vibrant hub for community, creative industries, and education. After significant fire damage in 2013, the project restores the heritage fabric while incorporating modern interventions to ensure long-term sustainability. By sensitively blending restoration and adaptive reuse, the scheme revitalises these heritage assets, delivering 4,372 sqm of flexible workspace supporting 370 jobs, a new community centre, and a café, all designed with accessibility and inclusivity in mind, securing the long-term future of these iconic buildings.
The project employs a room-by-room conservation hierarchy developed in collaboration with Historic England. Spaces of the highest significance receive scholarly restoration, while others integrate subtle modern adaptations to honour their heritage value. The former Council Chamber will feature a new gallery and truss roof that reinterpret its historic grandeur, highlighting its civic legacy.
Equally important is the adaptive reuse of these spaces to serve contemporary needs. This design accommodates local entrepreneurs, start-ups, and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs). The community centre, housed in the refurbished Newington Library, includes three versatile rooms to host art exhibitions, exercise classes, meetings, and public events.
the winners will be announced on a ceremony on the 11th june. congrats to all the shortlisted projects and thanks to our team for their hard work on this great schemes.
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