Merseyside Civic Society (1) – the amenity and civic society for Merseyside – is today announcing that 8 different projects from across Merseyside have been recognised in its re-launched Awards at a ceremony held at Milk and Sugar in Liverpool. The Awards were presented to the best new buildings, public spaces and restorations by Merseyside Civic Society Vice-president, Paula Ridley CBE, a former chair of both the Liverpool Housing Action Trust and of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

The 2010 Merseyside Civic Awards attracted huge interest from communities and architects across the area, all battling to win an award and be recognised for demonstrating excellence in design whilst offering a cultural, social or economic benefit to the local community.
Merseyside Civic Society Chair, Peter Brown said “we were delighted to see such a diverse range of projects submitted for consideration. The Merseyside Civic Awards celebrate not only design excellence, but also the relationship between structures, places, the environment and local communities – i.e. the civic impact. This year’s group of winners successfully illustrate how this relationship can produce effective and imaginative solutions“
Award winners include

1. Best new build - Floral Pavilion, New Brighton
2. Best green space – Stanley Park, Liverpool
3. Best open Space – Dream, St Helens
4. Best refurbishment Bluecoat, Liverpool

Habitat for Humanity was successful in achieving a commendation for its partially completed scheme.

In addition to the award winners decided by the judging panel, landmark sculpture Dream, sited on a former colliery in St Helens received the newly formed ‘Civic Pride Award’ voted on by the Merseyside Public received over 2000 votes and Liverpool One: Masterplan was awarded a ‘Special Award’ for its contribution to the regeneration of Liverpool city centre.

Peter Brown, Merseyside Civic Society, said “when we asked people to vote on the Civic Pride Award we were hoping it would generate a bit of civic pride in the residents of Merseyside. The response has been huge. Everything about these awards makes Merseyside the great place it is and the support from the people have St Helens have made Dream a true winner. It is not only a public piece of art, but also manages to transform a space from an underused resource into an area that is now visited by people of all walks of life, creating a space that is truly enjoyed by all.  A beautiful story, a beautiful place
Paula Ridley, Vice President added “Since 1938 Merseyside Civic Society has helped to preserve key elements of the best of the area’s past, such as the Albert Dock and the Lyceum, as well as demanding design quality for the future. We believe everyone has the right to live somewhere they can be proud about and we look forward to working with partners in helping make this reality in future years. We hope the awards will be the first step in making this happen”

More information at www.mcsawards.org.uk