Tributes paid to John Thompson, who helped shape the future of Scarborough

Mr Taylor writes:

In 2001, the people of Scarborough were given the opportunity to co-design their future as part of the then Regional Development Agency, Yorkshire Forward’s Urban Renaissance programme, which aimed to support the social and economic regeneration of major towns and cities in the region.

John Thompson, an architect with his own internationally renowned practice known as JTP (formerly John Thompson Partners), was instrumental in Scarborough’s Renaissance and was successful in creating a remarkable level of community participation, from everyday people to the leaders of industry, culture, and education in the town.

His team, along with the Town Team as it was called, helped deliver the refurbishment of Woodend into a creative industries centre, a major refurbishment of the Spa Complex, a sympathetic refurbishment of the Rotunda and the regeneration of the inner harbour and the surrounding public realm.

This work in Scarborough was recognised with a range of awards, including Britain’s Most Enterprising Town in 2009 and Europe’s Most Enterprising Place in 2011.

Born in Leamington Spa in 1944, Mr Thompson spent much of his childhood in Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire.

After secondary school, Mr Thompson studied architecture at Magdalen College, Cambridge where he excelled and was part of a group who all went on to achieve great things.

One was John Simpson, the BBC News World Affairs Editor, who gave the eulogy at Mr Thompson’s funeral at St Peter’s Church in Hammersmith where he spoke of his incredible life. Scarborough was mentioned as one of Mr Thompson’s great achievements.

Mr Thompson graduated from Cambridge in 1969 and set up a successful practice called Hunt Thompson with fellow architect Bernard Hunt.

He became a leading light in the Community Architecture movement of the 1980s.

In 1994, Mr Thompson founded his practice and soon had a range of great projects behind him, including the development of the Village at Caterham (formerly Caterham Barracks), the development of Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth and many more.

Between 2001 and 2011, he was a member of Yorkshire Forward’s Urban Renaissance Panel working to create Visions and renaissance strategies with many communities in the region.

In 2003, Mr Thompson was asked to chair the planning group at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) which eventually led to him co-founding the Academy of Urbanism (AOU), becoming its first chairman.

He is survived by his second wife, Nova, two children, Wally and Grace from his first marriage, and three stepchildren, Jessica, Tom and Tibbs.