Cheshire West Design Awards
The Awards
Cheshire West Design Awards
The awards are nearly 50 years old and return for the eleventh time.
The aim of these awards is to make Cheshire West and Chester a better place to live, work and visit by encouraging outstanding design and projects and gaining national recognition for this.
The judges are awarding the very best design projects across the borough and specifically want to highlight the following:
High quality contemporary design and construction,
Traditional materials and craft skills which conserve our heritage,
Innovative approaches to energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.
We enthusiastically welcome all nominations (big and small) for new build, public realm, conservation and sustainable developments.
The winners of these prestigious awards will be announced and publicly recognised at the Award presentation event which will be held at Chester Town Hall on 27 November 2025.
talk to us
Connect with
Jane Harrad-Roberts
If you need a chat, just drop Jane a line and she will get back to you.
Order and arrangement, symmetry and definiteness, are the qualities that give value to architecture.
We will neglect our cities to our peril, for in neglecting them we neglect the nation.
Growth is inevitable and desirable but the destruction of (a city’s) character is not.
Categories
The Categories
Sustainable
Projects which minimise the impact on our community and our environment.
residential
Homes of merit for people and families to live and grow in.
Community, Health & Education
Buildings created for the welfare of everyone in our county.
Commercial, Retail & Industrial
Business developments forming an essential part of our local economy.
Public realm & Open Spaces
Spaces created for everyone to use and enjoy.
In each of these categories there are two sub categories:
A. New Build
B. Conversion / Refurbishment / Conservation
Entries can be considered for more than one category (for example a mixed residential and workshop development could be considered in categories 2 and 4). In 2021 we made 25 Awards and there were entries and Awards in all of the categories. The standard of all entries was very high.
The new category for Sustainable Development targets development that best demonstrates the principles of environmental sustainability and addresses climate change through energy efficiency, renewable energy, use of appropriate materials and technology.
Cheshire West Design Awards
Objectives
By rewarding the best architectural projects in the last four years this Award Scheme aims to stimulate interest in our built environment and develop a deeper and broader appreciation of both traditional craft skills and high quality contemporary construction.
This is the tenth round of ‘Civic Awards’ and the fourth time that the scheme applies to the extended area of ‘Cheshire West and Chester’. All the sponsoring bodies hope that the Awards will raise the profile of good architectural design in our community.
General Conditions
There are no restrictions on who may submit nominations – owners, occupiers, developers, architects, contractors, community groups and members of the general public may all do so.
There are no restrictions on the type or size of project, provided that:
a) it is within the borough of Cheshire West and Chester, and
b) it has been substantially completed between 1st June 2021 and 31st May 2025.
Large and small developments; private, public or commercial; ‘new build’, conversions, refurbishments and conservation projects are all
eligible – so too are schemes which enhance the public realm or other open spaces.
Awards
Up to ten Awards will be made (but no more than three in any of the five main categories). The winners will each receive a Certificate of Award; Certificates of Commendation may also be given to other entries which are considered worthy of recognition.
A Presentation Event will be held on 27th November 2025 and invitations will be issued once the judging process is complete.
The decisions made by the judges on behalf of the Civic Awards Partnership will be final.
Entering
Nominations
There is no fee for submitting a nomination.
The nomination forms should be as complete as possible and should be supported by at least two digital photographs of the project.
Nominations should be made electronically and submitted here.
Paper submissions are possible, by prior arrangement only, to Chester Civic Trust Office, Bishop Lloyd’s Palace, 51 – 53 Watergate Row, Chester CH1 2LE. Please email us here to advise if you choose this method of delivery.
The closing date for the receipt of nominations is 15th July 2025. An acknowledgement card or e-mail will be sent to confirm receipt.
Entry Form
How to Enter
To enter the Cheshire West Design Awards, simply fill out the easy-to-complete form which you can access from the button below.
There are no restrictions on who can submit nominations, meaning that anyone, whether a property owner, occupier, developer, architect, contractor, community group, or even a member of the general public can take part. This inclusive process allows a wide range of individuals and groups to showcase and celebrate exceptional design in the region.
