The Greater Cambridge Shared Planning service (GCSP) - the shared planning service for Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council - has been awarded the ‘Planning for the Natural Environment Award’ at the national Planning Awards 2025.
The award, presented on 11 June, celebrates the GCSP’s innovative approach to reversing biodiversity loss caused through development. The service triumphed over five other outstanding projects shortlisted in the category.
Back in 2022, the Shared Planning service’s Natural Environment Team recognised the imminent need to provide reliable solutions for developers to offset environmental damage through development. They updated the guidance in their Biodiversity Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) in June 2022, which included the emerging Environment Act legislation changes requiring any new developments to improve nature in the area by at least 10%. The changes ensured new projects actively benefitted local wildlife and green spaces through the planning system.
With strong support from councillors, in 2023/24, GCSP took this further by enabling the creation of a network of new Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) habitat banks across the Greater Cambridge area. They worked in partnership with Cambridgeshire County Council, The Wildlife Trust, Cambridge Past, Present and Future, and others, to identify sites where habitats could be created or enhanced.
This leap of faith placed Greater Cambridge ahead of the curve nationally and positioned them as early adopters of BNG offsite initiatives.
Designated areas of land allow developers to offset the environmental impact of their projects in a way that benefits nature long-term. Instead of replacing lost biodiversity directly on the development site, which is often not possible, developers instead pay for the creation and maintenance of habitat elsewhere in the area. Each habitat bank must legally be monitored and managed over the next 30 years.
South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Planning, Cllr Dr. Tumi Hawkins, said: “Winning this award means a great deal to myself and to our whole team. With such a high standard of entries, it’s incredible to be recognised among so many outstanding projects. It’s a real landmark for our service and a testament to the innovative work our planning team is doing to protect and enhance biodiversity. Creating habitat banks across Greater Cambridge ensures that nature has the space and support it needs to thrive for decades to come.”
Cllr Katie Thornburrow, Cambridge City Council’s Executive Councillor for Planning, Building Control and Infrastructure, said: “The Shared Planning Service has worked hard to put sustainability and environmental considerations at the heart of what we do, recognising that we live at a time of biodiversity crisis. It is immensely gratifying to see that work acknowledged in this award, which recognises the hard work done by the entire team and offers a clear example to others of how councils can lead the way in tackling these enormous challenges.”
For 12 years, the Planning Awards have celebrated the transformative power of planning and placemaking. More information on the awards and the projects shortlisted can be found on the Planning Awards’ website.
