A critical blueprint for future growth in Stroud was highly commended at the 2017 Royal Town Planning Institute South West Awards for Planning Excellence.

The Stroud District Local Plan provides the vision, strategy and policies to secure successful economic growth and new homes for the district up to 2031 and for future generations.

The plan was runner-up in the Excellence in Spatial Planning category.

The council was pipped to the post by the Water Space Project by Bath and North East Somerset Council.

Mark Russell, planning strategy manager at Stroud District Council, said: "It's great to be recognised for our local plan, especially as it's a long-term strategy for a huge area that will impact on thousands of people for generations to come.

"Many award submissions are small localised schemes with immediate eye-catching visual impact, so it's a real achievement to have a broad-reaching and comparatively unsexy plan receive acknowledgement for the important contribution it will make to the region's future landscape.

"Pulling together this enormous plan was a huge piece of work taking several years.

"Due to its nature, it was not without controversy, so it's great to receive such a glowing endorsement from the planning industry."

The RTPI South West represents more than 1,500 professional planners across the region. The awards promote good practice across the wide range of activities in which professional planners are involved.

The RTPI SW Awards judging panel said that the standard of submissions for the 2017 awards was the highest in 25 years.

The plan is also a finalist in the national awards next week.