This small development shows what can be achieved by ingenious conversion of unexciting structures. A redundant industrial building has been converted into two family houses with walled gardens. It is easy to miss this development from the road as it has been done with admirable restraint, the original front wall and workshop doors being retained. Colour and character is added by the imaginative design of the new garden elevations.

The new porch extension greatly improves the overall appearance of this typical pre-war semi. The design and detail are completely in character, including the decorative tiling on the prominent roof to the extension, which also accommodates a rear-facing playroom. A new dormer window has been added which repeats the attractive roof tiling as well. This development demonstrates the value of good design for modest building works.

The simple modern lines of this extension look well against the plain rear wall of a Victorian building. Particularly pleasing is the sloped glazing detail between the house and the flat roof whose overhanging eaves can just be seen from Lower Redland Road. Although built just over two years ago the extension was camouflaged from view until a neighbouring tree was felled. But its restrained design and simple detailing does not intrude upon the visual character of the Conservation Area.

We do not normally have an additional class of winners, but there were several nominations for works improving front boundary walls, frontages in general and parking areas. Whilst no Gold Stars were awarded for this type of development this year, the panel and Committee would particularly like to commend three of these:

Wooden Spoon

St John Reade Hostel & Redland Hill UWE sites

Developer: Edward Ware Homes

A member offered this nomination at the AGM, with which those present felt considerable sympathy.

Planning permission was granted to both these sites 18 months ago. Since then the St John Reade site has been left in an untidy and insecure condition, allowing children to use it as a play area. The main UWE site on Redland Hill has been completely vandalised, with almost every window broken. Children and others have clearly had access to buildings that are dangerous. The state of this site is a blot on Redland.

An RCAS Wooden Spoon was therefore awarded to the owners for their failure to deal with these problems over many months.

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