Thame High Street ‘the greatest place in the South East’

The High Street will now go forward to a national public vote to decide England’s Greatest Place.

More than 200 locations were nominated to win one of the ten coveted individual regional awards.

The competition designed by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), the professional body for planners, celebrates attractive and inspiring places and the role planners have played in helping to protect or shape them for England’s communities.

The judges said Thame High Street was an ‘outstanding and worthy winner.’

Good planning over a long period has protected and enhanced the character of Thame and the High Street, and it now has the benefits of one of the first neighbourhood plans.

Janet Askew, president of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) said: “Thame High Street was a popular choice and is clearly a much appreciated and loved place by local people.

“We wanted to recognise special places like Thame High Street which are cherished because they have been protected, carefully planned or have been improved. “Will it win the public vote and be crowned England’s Greatest Place?”

The full list of finalists of the RTPI’s England’s Greatest Place competition are Letchworth Garden City for the East of England, the Peak District for the East Midlands, Brindley Place in Birmingham for the West Midlands, Kings Cross Regeneration for London, Kielder Park for the North East, Liverpool Waterfront for the North West, Thame High Street for the South East, Bath for the South West and Saltaire for Yorkshire.

A specially commissioned trophy will be presented to the local authority that wins the overall national award.

Members of the public can vote for England’s Greatest Place until Friday November 20.

To vote visit http://www.rtpi.org.uk or tweet or instagram your vote for Thame High Street to #RTPIgreatplaces.