On 24 May, Civic Voice handed out 11 awards to a variety of high quality schemes and projects from across England, with the Master’s House, Ledbury, winning in the Restoration Category
Civic Voice writes:
The Civic Voice Design Awards give communities the opportunity to nominate and recognise new buildings, restoration and public realm projects in their local area. They were introduced in 2013 following a vote by Civic Voice members to demonstrate that civic societies and other community groups will accept new development when it responds positively to the local area.
Max Farrell, chair of the Civic Voice Design Awards judging panel said, ‘The design of the building or scheme is just one part of the story. What matters just as much is how it was developed. These winners each reflect many of the aims and ambitions of Civic Voice. – a commitment to placemaking through a collaborative approach pulling the public, private and voluntary sector together. The Civic Voice Design Awards are showing that communities do not just want to stand at the side and complain, they want to get involved and shape the places they live in’.
A total of 11 schemes across England received an award including Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool and St Valentine’s Close, a housing development in Winchester.
The 2016 winners are:-
New Build Category
• Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool (Overall Winner and Category Winner)
• Soho Multi-level Playground, London (Highly Commended)
• St Valentine’s Close, Winchester (Highly Commended)
Public Realm Category
• The Holywells Park Project, Ipswich (Category Winner)
• Eyesore to Artwork, Derbyshire (Highly Commended)
• Road of Remembrance War Poppies, Folkestone, Kent (Judges’ Special Mention)
Restoration Category
- The Master’s House, Ledbury (Category Winner)
- Briddlesford Lodge Farm Hop Kilns (Highly Commended)
- The Old Grammar School, Coventry (Highly Commended)
- Yarmouth Station, Isle of Wight (Highly Commended)
- Scenic Railway, Dreamland, Margate (Judges’ Special Mention)
Max Farrell finished by saying, ‘People are not just asking for more and better designed buildings, they are demanding them. The best developers realise this and will succeed when they realise participation not consultation is the way forward. What we need in England is positive planning and I call on communities, developers, MPs and others in the sector to learn the lessons from this year’s Civic Voice Design Awards’.
Find out more about the Award Winners
