Double celebrations for Lichfields at RTPI North East Awards

Lichfields is celebrating after a very successful evening at the RTPI North East Awards for Planning Excellence. Our Life Kitchen project was the overall winner and, another project, Stephenson Quarter UTC being one of two other entries commended by the Judging Panel. The industry awards are the benchmark for planning excellence in the North East and we are delighted to have two projects recognised on behalf of our clients.

Life Kitchen is an initiative set up by Ryan Riley to help people living with cancer and those caring for them. It offers free cookery classes for people living with cancer, teaching recipes which have flavours that appeal to those undergoing chemotherapy where the ability to taste is limited and the enjoyment of eating diminished.  In February this year, Lichfields secured planning permission and listed building consent to change the use of a disused grade II-listed building and facilitate the creation of UK’s first cancer patients' cookery school and we worked closely with Life Kitchen, the project team and Sunderland City Council to create an accessible, sustainable space of exceptional quality at the centre of the community. Life Kitchen opened in June 2019.

Stephenson Quarter University Technical College (UTC) opened in January 2019. It seeks to increase regional prosperity by filling the skills gap in the Digital Technology and Healthcare Science sectors. The UTC’s design features classrooms, study zones and social spaces, including approximately 10,000 square feet of conservation space which integrate the remains of the Industrial Revolution-era Hawthorn Engineering Works into the new building. Lichfields obtained planning permission and listed building consent for the UTC inside 13 weeks. The scheme accommodates up to 600 students aged 14-19 years old alongside a 6-storey Grade A flagship office building – providing 5,000sqm of floorspace, and supporting 300 FTE jobs.