Heritage starts at home…

The Garden City Heritage Awards 2009 ceremony, a celebration of architectural excellence in the Garden City, was organised recently by the Heritage Foundation at the Goldsmith Centre for Business, and presided over by Paul Palmer, Chairman of the Judges and Chairman of the Architectural Heritage Advisory Group.

Celebrating architectural excellence in improving Garden City properties – the awards attracted 37 entries from across four categories. The 2009 awards qualifying period, when the improvement works had to be carried out, ran from July 1, 2007 to December 30, 2008.

Mr Palmer and Stuart Kenny, Director General of Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation, gave keynote speeches and presented the prizes.

The winners were:

Extensions: Mr & Mrs Jury, 39 Broadwater Avenue.

Frontages and Greening: Mr & Mrs Coley, 23 Willian Way.

Timber windows and doors: Mr & Mrs Bangs, 310a Norton Way South.

A special commendation was also awarded in the Extensions category to: Mr & Mrs Wilson, 18 Hitchin Road.

Each of winners picked up cash prizes of £1,000 and the commendation received £500. All of the 11 finalists picked up a certificate, with the winners receiving a plaque for permanent display on their properties too. Certificates were also presented to each of the architects and contractors involved in finalist's projects.'

Following the Awards Ceremony, Mr Kenny, the Foundation's Director General, said: "Preserving the unique Garden City environment is very important to the Heritage Foundation, indeed we have a duty under our Act of Parliament to do so. The aim of these Awards over the years has been to acclaim and reward property owners and contractors who ‘go that extra mile’ to ensure that their work is top quality, in design and implementation. Congratulations to everyone that entered".