North London Waste Authority (NLWA) is celebrating national recognition after EcoPark South — the first completed phase of North London Heat and Power Project (NLHPP) — received Highly Commended at the prestigious National Civic Trust Awards. The Awards celebrate projects that make a positive cultural, social, and environmental contribution to local communities.
Judges’ said: “EcoPark South demonstrates that infrastructure of this scale can be delivered with care, intelligence and social awareness.”
EcoPark South includes two major facilities: the Resource Recovery Facility which significantly increases north London’s recycling capacity, and EcoPark House, a new visitor and education centre which also provides a permanent home for the Edmonton Sea Cadets. Both buildings were delivered with high sustainability standards, including BREEAM “Very Good” design‑stage ratings, a 2,235‑panel rooftop solar array generating more than 900,000 kWh annually, and an off‑grid operation at EcoPark House supported by ground‑source heat pumps.
Martin Capstick, Managing Director of NLWA, said: “This is fantastic recognition of the vision we set out to achieve: to build facilities in which local communities can take pride, demonstrate value and serve as a model for public sector project delivery. It shows that essential infrastructure can be delivered sustainably, beautifully, and with real public benefit.”
Designed by Grimshaw Architects and delivered by Taylor Woodrow, EcoPark South facilities have continued to receive national and regional acclaim since their completion. EcoPark House was named ‘Social Infrastructure Project of the Year’ at the 2025 British Construction & Infrastructure Awards (BCIA), and EcoPark South is currently shortlisted for a 2026 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) London award.
Kirsten Lees, Partner at Grimshaw, said: “EcoPark South, part of the wider North London Heat and Power Project, marks a genuine shift in how we think about waste—bringing typically hidden infrastructure into public view and reframing it as a visible, valued civic asset. Here, design plays a vital role: creating places that support long-term learning, community interaction and environmental awareness, while demonstrating what a circular economy approach looks like in practice. It shows how the infrastructure we rely on every day can actively contribute to the sustainable, resilient cities of the future.”
As one of the UK’s most significant public-sector infrastructure programmes, NLHPP is transforming the Edmonton EcoPark with new, modern recycling and waste management facilities. Progress continues with construction of the final major element – a new Energy Recovery Facility at the north of the site. The new facility will replace the ageing energy-from-waste plant and further enhance NLWA’s capacity to deliver sustainable waste services to over two million residents across north London.
For more information about NLHPP, visit northlondonheatandpower.london.
