Finalists in the Small Planning Consultancy of the Year category at this year’s RTPI Awards include Aurora Planning based in Aberdeen, which provides planning advice to clients across Scotland.

Aurora has been shortlisted for its work with individuals, small business owners, professional developers, and public sector and community-led organisations. It also regularly carries out pro bono or reduced fee work to support all sectors of the community to participate equally, confidently and independently in the planning process.

The category shortlist also includes:

• AEC
• Collective Planning
• HTA Planning
• Hybrid
• NTR Planning
• Planning Insight
• P4 Planning
• Hyas Associates

The RTPI’s annual Awards for Planning Excellence are the longest-running and most respected in the UK planning industry. The awards celebrate exceptional examples of planning and the contribution planners make to society not just throughout the UK but internationally.

The climax of the ceremony, which will take place on virtual platform, The Awards Room by Evessio, on April 29, will be the presentation of the Silver Jubilee Cup, awarded to the project adjudged best overall.

In total, 93 projects, teams and individuals across 15 categories have been selected by the independent judges this year. A new category for this year is Planning Heroes in a Pandemic, recognising the innovative work of planners in response to Covid-19.

The judging panel in 2021 will be chaired by Dyan Currie HonMRTPI, chief planner at Brisbane City Council, Australia and immediate Past President of the Commonwealth Association of Planners.

RTPI President Wei Yang FRTPI said: “For more than 40 years, these prestigious awards have celebrated the exceptional work undertaken by town planners. In the middle of a global pandemic, I believe they are more relevant than ever before as we showcase the very best of our profession from all the RTPI’s regions and nations and from countries around the world.

“I am particularly pleased to see this year a new category has been created to recognise the incredible commitment and dedication of planners who have risen to the challenge of responding to the impacts of Covid-19 on the planning system.

“I wish all the finalists the very best of luck at the ceremony.”

Sarah Elliott MRTPI, UK&I town planning lead for buildings and places at headline sponsor AECOM, said: “AECOM is proud to once again be a headline sponsor of this year’s RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence. The finalists are a diverse mixture of outstanding examples of planning, including new responses driven by the pandemic and climate change. Once again this demonstrates the breadth of the impact the profession has on quality place making and delivery in the built environment, alongside our resilience to evolve and adapt.”