A string of award shortlists

Milton Park has had four significant projects shortlisted for seven major industry awards. 

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported with the refreshed Milton Park LDO, the project teams involved in creating Nebula and to the volunteers who make our Explore programme possible. 

Milton Park has been shortlisted for the following awards: 

• Constructing Excellence Awards – Commercial Project  
• Constructing Excellence Awards – Project Team 
• Construction News Award – Low Carbon Project  
• CN & PW Life Science and Research Cluster Conference Awards – Social Value Award 
• CN & PW Life Science and Research Cluster Conference Awards – Best New Building 
• Planning Awards 2025 – Promoting Economic Growth 
• Royal Town Planning Institute 2025 awards – Excellence in Planning for a Successful Economy 

From planning and property to partnerships, we take a closer look at some of the milestone projects being recognised. 

Planning: Milton Park Local Development Order 

The recently updated Milton Park Local Development Order (LDO) has been shortlisted in the Promoting Economic Growth category at The Planning Awards and the Excellence in Planning for a Successful Economy category at the Royal Town Planning Institute 2025 Awards. 

Created in partnership with Vale of White Horse District Council, the LDO is designed to make planning simpler, faster and greener across Milton Park. It sets out a clearer and more flexible framework for development up to 2041, making it easier for occupiers to grow. With greener growth a key priority, it will see up to 4.2 million sq ft of new space brought forward while promoting sustainable travel, biodiversity and low-carbon design. 

As well as reducing planning decisions to ten-days, it is also the first time an LDO of this kind has incorporated AI traffic monitoring to guide infrastructure contributions. 

Property: shining a sustainable spotlight on Nebula 

Milton Park’s innovative research and development Nebula project is quite rightly making waves across the construction and property industries. 

Believed to be a UK-first for an R&D project, Nebula has used structural glulam timber frames instead of steel, which saved a remarkable 686 tonnes of CO₂ during construction. 

As a highly sustainable space for companies to innovate, the project has been shortlisted for Commercial Project of the Year at the Constructing Excellence Awards, Best New Building at the CN & PW Life Science and Research Clusters Awards and Low Carbon Project of the Year at the Construction News Awards.  

Nebula’s project team worked closely to show the art of the possible in sustainable design. With energy-efficient systems, low-carbon materials and a future-proofed layout, the buildings have been created with flexibility in mind, to provide ample space for innovation.  

Partnerships: Didcot Powerhouse Fund and Explore 

Milton Park’s commitment to social impact has been shortlisted for the Social Value category at the Life Science and Research Clusters Awards, run by Construction News and Property Week. 

The shortlisting recognises initiatives such as the Didcot Powerhouse Fund (of which Milton Park is a founding member and a quantum donor) and Milton Park’s Explore schools programme. 

Didcot Powerhouse brings together local businesses, public bodies and charities to support social impact projects in Didcot and the surrounding areas. To date, the project has provided over 70 grants totalling nearly £400,000.  

The Explore programme, which is led by Milton Park with support from the wider occupier community, helps young people and underrepresented groups discover career opportunities across the science and innovation sectors. 

We’re incredibly proud of the teams and partners behind all these initiatives that are helping create a more inclusive and sustainable community across the Park. 

These award nominations are a fantastic endorsement of the work happening across Milton Park, from planning and placemaking to buildings and social purpose.  

We’re keeping our fingers crossed for the upcoming award ceremonies. Whether or not the team takes home the trophies on the night, we’re proud to be working on projects that are shaping a greener, more inclusive and innovative future.  

Good luck to all the other finalists!