Time to nominate! Search starts for borough’s best new developments

The Pavilion at Birtle Brook Village designed by CJ Partnership, was one of the big winners at last year’s Rochdale Borough Design Awards

Do you have a favourite new building or regeneration project in the borough? It may have a particularly unusual and striking design, blend in well with its surroundings or have innovative ‘green’ features. Or it could be a user-friendly community development.

Whatever you like about the building, public space, conservation or regeneration project, Rochdale Borough Council wants to know! The annual Rochdale Borough Design Awards, now in their fourth year, focus on the relationship between good design of new developments and building successful communities.

The winner of the 2011 ‘Rochdale Borough Design Award’ was The Pavilion at Birtle Brook Village, in recognition of the way the brownfield site had been stylishly developed with meticulous attention to detail.

The Golden Mosque Islamic Cultural Centre won the ‘Peoples Design Award’ and the award for ‘Contribution to Regeneration’ was collected by Mike Goldrick Window Blinds Ltd in Heywood.

This year there will be at least three awards - the Rochdale Borough Design Award and a new Sustainable Design Award which will be decided by a panel of experts, together with the People’s Design Award, which will be decided by a public vote. The judges may also decide to make additional awards.

Suggestions for the 2012 awards are welcome now and you have until 7 September to make your nomination. To be eligible, the development, which could be a building, public space, conservation or regeneration project, must have been completed since January 2012 or be nearing completion. Eligible nominated developments will be considered for the judges’ awards and will also be put to the public vote for the People’s Award.

Councillor Terry Linden, Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services and Housing, said: "The awards are part of the council’s commitment to recognising design excellence in new buildings and regeneration schemes, and over the last few years we have highlighted some of the very best development projects taking place within the borough. The People’s Award is an opportunity for local communities to vote for schemes which have made a difference to where they live. Once again I expect to see an interesting variety of nominations and the judging panel will no doubt have some difficult decisions to make.”

All kinds of developments can be nominated, including individual buildings, open spaces, conservation schemes and regeneration projects.

To nominate a development email andrew.eadie@rochdale.gov.uk

Alternatively write to Rochdale Borough Design Awards, Rochdale Borough Council, Strategic Planning, Floor 1, Telegraph House, Baillie Street, Rochdale OL16 1JH. The nomination form includes details of the judging criteria.