National Park on board as awards launch
The Sussex Heritage Trust’s annual awards have been launched.
The only Sussex-wide heritage awards supports excellence in conservation, restoration, and the good design of newly built projects, whilst also encouraging the use of traditional skills and crafts.
This year the South Downs National Park Authority will sponsor a brand-new award, The South Downs Design Award, which provides an opportunity to promote outstanding design in a nationally designated landscape.
This coveted award will go to a project that clearly demonstrates a positive contribution to the South Downs National Park, including schemes that have conserved and enhanced the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the area.
Tim Slaney, director of planning at the South Downs National Park Authority, said: “We’re excited to be supporting these prestigious awards.
“High-quality design matters to the national park and to the local communities within it. That’s why we’ve created a template for design excellence in our local plan, encouraging architects and builders to use this diverse landscape as a compass for great design.
Entries are invited across nine categories from residential to public and community to ecclesiastical to building crafts.
Last year saw a total of 25 award winners, of which eight featured in the South Downs National Park including the historic stew ponds project at Arundel Castle and West
Dean College’s roof restoration at West Dean College of Art and Conservation. Highly commended projects included two projects in Lewes, the Alistair Fleming Design Showroom and Jamie’s Farm.
The Sussex Heritage Trust Awards will be taking entries until Friday, March 26.
Winners of the awards receive a hand-crafted slate presented by the president of the Sussex Heritage Trust, the Rt Hon Lord Egremont on Wednesday, July 14.
For an entry pack and to enter the awards, visit www.sussexheritagetrust. org.uk or email office@ sussexheritagetrust.org.uk