PLANS for the future of Saltaire have won Bradford Council an award for excellence.

The recently revised Saltaire Management Plan, approved by the local authority, tonight took the Royal Town Planning Institute's Yorkshire Planning Excellence Award at a ceremony in Leeds Civic Hall.

The award is made for 'excellence in a project which shows originality, regional significance and leadership.'

The Saltaire entry, which outlines short-term plans for the town and considers how the village will look in 30 years, was judged on issues like sustainable development, good practice, community involvement and planning content.

Over 50 projects make up the plan, covering conservation, tourism, education, transport, community and the buffer zone.

Councillor Val Slater, the Council’s Heritage Champion, said: "Winning this award is a clear demonstration of the quality of the work being done to manage this prestigious World Heritage Site for the people of Saltaire as well as visitors from near and far.

"It is a ringing endorsement of all the hard work that went into producing the plan."

President of the Royal Town Planning Institute Janet Askew said: "I was able to visit Bradford on Thursday to see for myself the imaginative planning that is transforming major areas of the city.

"I was very impressed with the enormous work undertaken by the planning department and by the scope of the ambition of the Council."