FPCR finalist in Landscape Institute Award for Cranbrook
FPCR has been shortlisted in the Landscape Institute Awards 2026 for its work at Cranbrook in East Devon, undertaken in partnership with Cranbrook New Community Partners (also known as Cranbrook Consortium).
FPCR has been shortlisted in the Landscape Institute Awards 2026 for its work at Cranbrook in East Devon, undertaken in partnership with Cranbrook New Community Partners (also known as Cranbrook Consortium), whose key members include Hallam Land, Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon, in collaboration with Cranbrook Town Council and East Devon District Council.
Cranbrook has been named a finalist in the Excellence in Public Health and Wellbeing category, recognising the landscape-led approach that has placed access to nature, active travel, recreation and community wellbeing at the heart of the new town.
PROJECT BACKGROUND: DELIVERING CIRCA 8,000 HOMES
Identified as part of the NHS England Healthy New Towns Programme, Cranbrook is ultimately planned to deliver approximately 8,000 homes as part of East Devon’s wider growth strategy.
FPCR has played a central role in the development of Cranbrook from the outset, providing landscape architecture, urban design and arboricultural services across multiple phases. This has included landscape masterplanning, Green Infrastructure strategies, public realm design, implementation and long-term management planning.
CRANBROOK: KEY DESIGN PRINCIPLES
A key principle has been ensuring residents have ready access to high-quality green spaces and opportunities for active lifestyles. Approximately 90% of homes are located within a five-minute walk of accessible green space, with around 46 hectares of publicly accessible Green Infrastructure integrated throughout the town.
This interconnected network includes Cranbrook Country Park and Ecology Park alongside neighbourhood squares, allotments, sports pitches, play areas, trim trails, a pump track, skate park, outdoor gym and town centre square, contributing to the town’s growing range of facilities that support recreation, activity and community wellbeing.
Walking, wheeling and cycling have also been embedded within the development, with green corridors, retained green lanes and dedicated routes connecting homes with schools, community facilities, public transport and recreational spaces.
The project demonstrates the important role landscape architecture can play as social, environmental and public health infrastructure, helping to create places that support healthier lifestyles, stronger communities and long-term wellbeing.
Jeremy Tompkinson, Director (Landscape) at FPCR commented: “We are delighted to see Cranbrook recognised by the Landscape Institute. Our involvement with the town spans over a decade, and it has been incredibly rewarding to see the landscape mature and become such an important part of everyday life for the community. The project demonstrates what can be achieved when health, wellbeing and access to high-quality Green Infrastructure are considered from the outset.”
FPCR’s continued involvement throughout Cranbrook’s evolution has enabled the original healthy placemaking vision to be carried through from strategic planning to detailed design, implementation and long-term management.
A NATIONALLY-RECOGNISED SCHEME
The quality and stewardship of Cranbrook’s green spaces have already received wider recognition, with Cranbrook Country Park achieving Green Flag Awards in 2024 and 2025 (and shortlisted again for 2026), a Saving Devon’s Treescapes Award in 2024, and a BALI Award for Grounds Maintenance in 2022.
CRANBROOK: WIDER PROJECT TEAM
The delivery of Cranbrook has involved ongoing collaboration between the Cranbrook New Community Partners (Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey and Hallam Land), Cranbrook Town Council and East Devon District Council, alongside other stakeholders, helping to ensure that the town’s landscape, public spaces and community facilities continue to evolve in response to the needs of its growing population.
2026 Landscape Institute Awards ceremony
The Landscape Institute Awards celebrate excellence across the landscape profession. Winners of the 2026 awards will be announced at the awards ceremony in London on 13 November 2026.
Find out more about fpcr’s work on the cranbrook project
View our case study on Cranbrook here.
