Deserving design? – It’s time to have your say…

The shortlist for this year’s Rochdale Borough Design Awards has been announced and it’s time for you to rate them!

Eight developments have been put forward by local people who nominated their favourites earlier this year, and now voting is open for the 2013 ‘People’s Design Award.’

The shortlisted projects are:

• Rochdale Pioneers Museum, Toad Lane, Rochdale.
  
• Holy Family RC & C of E College, Wilton Grove, Heywood.
• Kingsway Park High School, Turf Hill Road, Rochdale. 
• Brownhill Learning Community, Heights Lane, Rochdale. 
• Middleton Technology School, Kenyon Lane, Middleton. 
• Housing development, Waithlands Road/Grafton Street, Newbold, Rochdale. 
• Housing development, Longridge Drive/Ashford Street, Heady Hill, Heywood. 
• Maden’s Square housing development, Todmorden Road, Littleborough.
  

To view and rate the nominated developments, visit www.rochdale.gov.uk/designawards

You can ‘rate’ each development individually, by giving it between one and five stars. The building with the most stars by the time voting closes on 10 January will win.

Alternatively, write to Rochdale Borough Design Awards, Rochdale Borough Council, Strategic Planning, Number One Riverside, Smith Street, Rochdale, OL16 1XU.

Voting is open until 5pm on 10 January 2014 and the winner will be announced at a special ceremony early in the New Year.

This year, as well as celebrating their fifth birthday, the awards welcome a fresh sponsor – new homes developer, Countryside Properties.

John Jones, Design Director at Countryside Properties, said the shortlist looks very strong:

“Some fabulous new developments have been nominated and we are delighted to be involved in the competition, especially now we have come to the public vote which is one of the most exciting parts of the awards! We’ve developed a number of high-quality housing developments in and around Rochdale and feel it is important to recognise and promote first-class new build projects in order to continue to raise design standards across the borough.”

Councillor Peter Williams, Cabinet Member for Economic Development added: “It is very positive to see how these awards are growing annually and their success illustrates just how much regeneration is taking place. I am pleased to see another very strong shortlist … and I wish them all good luck. The People’s Award is an opportunity for local communities to vote for schemes which have made a difference to where they live, and here we have some superb examples of projects that are doing so.”

There will be three awards - the Rochdale Borough Design Award and the Sustainable Development Award, decided by a panel of experts, together with this People’s Design Award, decided by an online public vote. The judges may also decide to make additional awards.