A £750 million development project at York University has received a prestigious accolade from experts in town planning jobs.
The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) named the design brief for the Heslington East campus scheme as the winner of its 2010 Yorkshire planning award at a ceremony in Leeds.
Prepared by staff at the university, architects, local planning consultants and traffic experts, the blueprint reveals the institution's vision for a 65-hectare campus extension that will ultimately create up to 2,000 new jobs.
Elizabeth Heaps, pro vice-chancellor for estates and strategic projects at the university, described Heslington East as one of the largest capital developments seen in the British higher education sector over the last ten years.
"We are particularly pleased to receive an award which recognises the quality of the planning and design of the new campus extension," she added.
The plans have now been shortlisted for the RTPI national award, with the winner due to be announced in February 2011.
According to the university, more than £200 million has been spent on upgrading and expanding facilities on the campus since 2000.
Posted by Jennifer Masters
