New Forest Building Awards open for nominations

NOMINATIONS are open for the national park’s own Grand Designs-style competition, with possible contenders ranging from country cottages to modern eco-homes.

The New Forest Building Awards aims to recognise the best new developments.

Previous winners include the Peppa Pig building at Paultons Park and a new art gallery on the Beaulieu estate. The categories are:

• Best residential scheme, which includes household extensions, new dwellings and converted buildings
• Best non-residential development which can be an office, educational site, public building, or visitor attraction
• Best conservation project, which can include restoration of a listed building
• Best green building which should showcase sustainable construction and materials.

Gordon Bailey, chair of the national park authority’s planning committee, said: “Our annual awards celebrate good design in the national park and reflect the importance given nationally to high-quality development through the National Design Guide and the government’s National Design Code.

“We have recently prepared an updated draft design guide setting out a new approach to building design, offering greater clarity and detail on sustainable construction, lighting and materials for new developments within the national park.

“The Building Design Awards recognise the positive contribution new development can make to the character of the area and we look forward to reviewing the nominations people submit.”

The closing date for entries is 31st December.

Winners will be selected by a panel of members drawn from the NPA’s planning committee.

Visit www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/buildingawards