17 July 2009, 09/152
2009 West
LancashireDesign Awards – winners
announced
Eight of the best-designed buildings in West
Lancs have been announced as winners of the 2009 West
Lancashire Design Awards.
West Lancs Borough Council asked for
nominations from the public back in February this year and judging
on the short-listed schemes took place recently.
The event, which has been running since 1989,
has this year been sponsored by the Homes and Communities Agency
which is the Government’s national housing and regeneration agency
and Places Matter! an innovative programme delivered
through RIBA North West which aims to drive up the quality of
place-making in the Northwest.
Councillor Martin Forshaw, the Portfolio
Holder for Planning and Transportation said: “These awards promote
the importance of good design and show the Council’s commitment to
working in partnership with owners and agents to raise the standard
of development and improve the appearance of the Borough’s
environment.
“The standard of the nominations this year
was, as always, very high and this made the judges’ task of picking
the winners even more difficult. The award winners are
examples where the time and effort put in by the architects, owners
and contractors have produced very high quality results.
“I commend all the entries put forward in this
year’s ‘Design Awards’ and hope that the scheme continues to
encourage others to produce the best quality buildings
possible. I would also like to thank Homes and Communities
Agency and Places Matter! for their support of this year’s
design awards.”
Awards have been announced in the following
categories:
- New residential development including extensions to existing
properties
- The refurbishment and/or conversion of existing buildings
- Commercial or community based developments
- Landscaping schemes and
- Buildings which have used ‘green’ or sustainable techniques and
technologies.
This year because of the high standard of the
developments the panel of judges gave out a total of 8 awards: the
5 category winners and 3 further commendations. The
award winners are:
Residential category winner is
South Tunley Hall, Tunley Lane, Wrightington which is a
beautifully styled and sensitive extension on a Grade II listed
building dated 1667. The judges were unanimous in their
praise of the extension which incorporates a traditional green oak
frame and natural grey slate roof with large areas of glazing
providing a modern and airy new living space. The extension
perfectly compliments the restoration work undertaken elsewhere on
the property both in its scale and design and even incorporates the
retention of a former Priest Hole under the floor of the new
extension.
Two commendations
were also given out in the residential category. Firstly the
erection of a new cottage on a former gap site at 9 The
Brow, Hesketh Bank was awarded because the judges
recognised the positive contribution the house had made to the
character and appearance of the area which is a conservation
area. The second commendation went to the Alder
LaneHousing scheme, off Boundary Lane,
Tarleton. The judges felt the small development of 12 housing
units showed a high standard of design within the tight budget
constraints of a social housing scheme.
Renovation/Conversion category
winner was won by the restoration of The Rookery, Cottage Lane,
Ormskirk. The work has involved the complete and
careful repair of a prominent Grade II listed building which was in
a very poor state of repair and identified as a ‘building at risk’
on the Council’s register. The judges felt the restoration of
the external fabric of the early C19 Tudor Gothic-styled building
was of a particularly high standard which befitted its listed
status and had created a beautiful home. The work had
continued through to the interiors which reflect the building’s
importance.
Commercial category winner is the Home
Farm Shop, Eagle and Child Barn, Bispham Green which has
involved the sensitive conversion of an important building in the
village into a new, vibrant business use. The judges noted
that externally the building, which lies within Bispham Green
Conservation Area, had changed little and that the new use has been
incorporated without harming the barn’s character and
appearance.
A Commendation was
also given in this category for the new office development at
TarletonBusinessPark,
Liverpool Road, Tarleton.
The judges recognised that the scheme had been successful because
it had incorporated a non-standard ‘bespoke’ approach to the
creation of business units on a prominent corner site which for
some time had lain vacant and had become an eyesore for local
residents.
The Landscaping category winner has been given to the
Burscough Town Centre Regeneration project which has been
a £11.5 million partnership scheme with funds from Northwest
Regional Development Agency delivered via the West Lancashire
Strategic Partnership’s ‘Investing in Business’ programme. The
scheme, including footpath reconstruction, restoration of the
forecourts and bridges, lighting, planting and public artwork
emphasising Burscough’s distinct history, has revitalised Burscough
centre and strengthened the local economy, creating over 130 jobs
to date. The work has helped give the area back its sense of
identity, making residents proud of their town and creating a place
where people want to shop and spend their leisure time.
The project has recently been awarded
a "Commendation" from the Royal Town Planning Institute awards and
an “Highly Commended” accolade by the Landscape Institute Awards
2008 ( in the under 1 ha category).
The Sustainability ‘Green’ category
award winner is The Faculty of Health building at
EdgeHillUniversity,
Ormskirk which has shown a commitment to reducing carbon
emissions and using energy-saving technologies in its design. The
Faculty of Health building at Edge Hill University combines a
stunning appearance with cutting-edge sustainable energy-saving
technologies and is a worthy winner of the new award. The
judges were impressed with the use of both solar and ground source
heating together with its natural ventilation system which helps
create a comfortable working environment without the need for
additional cooling systems.
An award ceremony to celebrate the winners,
together with the publication of a ‘20 years of design awards’
booklet and an exhibition at Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk, will be
arranged for later in the year.
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