ILKLEY Civic Society has announced the winners of its 2020 Design and Conservation Awards - despite not being able to go ahead with its usual presentation evening due to coronavirus.

This year the society has awarded one award and five commendation certificates to a wide variety of projects all of which had succeeded in making a valuable contribution to improving the townscape of Ilkley or its surrounding landscape.

Chairwoman of Ilkley Civic Society Helen Kidman said: “This year we have had new spaces, old spaces and reordered spaces on our slightly shorter list due to less entries, but all contributing to the town’s heritage and environment.”

The winners have all been notified and certificates will be delivered to the following projects:

A Design & Conservation Award, the highest level of recognition goes to All Saints Church and Halliday Clark, local architects, for the detailed design and specifications of the contemporary design of a new link building between the church and Church House and reordering of All Saints itself, based on an original concept by Overton Architects. The construction work was carried out by local builders Dobson Construction Ltd.

The civic society was impressed at how the project has created a much more flexible space within the church and an additional space and facilities in the link building. The quality of materials and workmanship - much of it local - was another positive feature. Interpretation and education also feature well in the project to create a much more useful facility for the community. The project was supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Three Conservation Commendations (for work on historic buildings or structures) have been given out this year to:

The former Rombalds Hotel which has been converted into eight apartments by local developer Burley Developments. The property forms an important part of the West View Terrace and is identified as a ‘key unlisted building (c 1834)’ in the Ilkley Conservation Area appraisal. The fine frontage remains much as it was, the main changes have been to more modern structures at the rear of the building. Whilst unfortunate to lose a characterful hotel the conversion has been done to a high standard retaining as many features as possible.

The second Conservation Commendation goes to the Craiglands Hotel who have converted parts of its unused basement area into the Verbeia Spa giving additional facilities to attract more visitors to this important building in the history of Ilkley.

The third commendation goes to T& C Properties for its conversion of units 3 and 4 on Back Nelson Road into offices and a fitness studio. Originally an industrial building and in need of investment, local developer T & C has moved its own offices into the building and lets other spaces.

A Design Commendation (for new build projects) goes to Ilkley Grammar School. The school has for many years had capacity problems being a popular local school serving much of the Wharfe Valley. It has had to rely on portable classrooms for some years, but now a new Teaching Block has been constructed in a contemporary design to create 15 new classrooms, meeting rooms and a flexible ground floor space with food service areas but which can also be used for activities. The three storey building has fitted into the constrained site without losing any major facilities and is clad in ceramic stone and slate coloured tiles. It has enabled the removal of some of the ageing portable buildings elsewhere on the site.

An Environmental Improvement Commendations (projects that enhance the townscape or surroundings of Ilkley) is awarded to the relatively recently formed volunteer group ‘The Friends of Ilkley Riverside Park’ who have started working with Bradford Council to make improvements to this valuable local facility. Work to date includes tackling a backlog of routine maintenance work to vegetation to make paths safer, to clean and re-varnish wooden street furniture around the park. To improve the park planting of bulbs and raised beds has been extended or renewed.