'Simply the Best' for Garden City

A special house, civic, public or community building for a special town - Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation is searching for 'simply the best' when it comes to new makeovers.

If you own, rent or know of a property which you consider has been tastefully and lovingly restored, NOW is the time to start thinking about entering the Garden City Heritage Awards.

For these 2005 awards, organised by the Heritage Foundation, the qualifying period for entries is 1 Jan 2004 to 30 June 2005, with improvement works having been completed during this period.

Works can be nominated for one of the following categories;

• Extensions - whether front, side or rear, or even a combination of the three
• Other alterations - including, but not restricted to, garages, replacement windows, chimneys, porches and roofs. Internal works are not eligible for entry.
• New hard standings in front gardens - to include planting schemes and paving
• Non-residential buildings - civic, public and community buildings

Entries are open also to architects or contractors who undertook or contributed to the specific entry and the property must be in Letchworth Garden City. Multiple entries for different properties are encouraged.

The judging panel, consisting of five volunteers, including building professionals and local residents, will visit short listed properties in August next year.

All entrants and their supporters will be invited to a special awards ceremony to be held on the Heritage Open Days Weekend in September 2005. The winners will be presented with a certificate and plaque for permanent display on their award-winning site. Certificates will also be awarded to the builders or architects who worked on the winning entries and also to the runners-up in each category.

Stuart Kenny, the Heritage Foundation's Director General, said: "Preserving the unique Garden City environment is hugely important to the Heritage Foundation; indeed we have a duty under an Act of Parliament to do so."

"Individual buildings, residential or otherwise, are a key element of the overall environment and in recent years I have been encouraged by the care taken by many owners when renovating their properties."

"The aim of the Garden City Heritage Awards is to acclaim and reward these efforts."