Top Town Again

SCARBOROUGH beat competition from 11 other British and Irish towns and cities and three from continental Europe to win the Urbanism Award.

All 360 members of the Academy of Urbanism were asked to pick the winner based on assessment visits to each location last summer.

In the Scarborough report produced ahead of voting the town was Renaissance Towns and Cities programme

- A growing economy

- Encouraging investment, including the restoration of Scarborough's Trafalgar Square

- Local people uniting in action groups to work on themed regeneration topics, including tourism, the arts and culture and urban space

- Having an "exceptional" urban renaissance manager lead. for:

Architect John Thompson, chairman of The Academy of Urbanism, said the awards were created to "recognise places and people that have helped transform local quality of life through good design and planning – Scarborough is an inspirational, community-led example of this".

Nick Taylor, Scarborough's urban renaissance manager said: "It's a fantastic feeling to have our work recognised in this way. I am particularly pleased for all those people involved in our town's renaissance.

"I'm very grateful for the support demonstrated by the former chairman of our group, Tom Pindar, and the continued leadership and vision of our current chairman Tony Peers."