Stockport Plaza named project of the year

This year's winners of RICS North West Awards were revealed last night at a ceremony held at The Point at Lancashire County Cricket Ground.

The winners of the eight individual RICS category awards were as follows:

Building Conservation

• The Plaza, Stockport

Regeneration

• The Inspire Centre, Levenshulme, Greater Manchester

Sustainability

• Accrington Station, Accrington, Lancashire

Community Benefit

• Speke Neighbourhood Health Centre, Liverpool

Commercial

• St Paul's Square, Liverpool

Design and Innovation

• Fielden Campus, The Manchester College

Residential Development

• Heath View, Congleton, Cheshire

Tourism and Leisure

• Pier Head Ferry Terminal, Liverpool

See highly commended projects below

The restoration of the 1930s Stockport Plaza was carried out by registered charity, Stockport Plaza Trust, and designed by Brock Carmichael Architects.

The RICS North West said in a statement accompanying the awards: "The Plaza is one of a generation of super cinemas built in the 1930s. Today very few survive but the importance of the building as an example of Art Deco was recognised when it was listed as a Grade II building before it closed in 1998. Rank Leisure sold The Plaza to Stockport Plaza Trust in 2000 and over the next ten years an extensive programme of repairs and restoration has taken place. RICS judges were most impressed by the high quality of work, the extensive research, intrinsic attention to detail, and the conservation led approach by the dedicated team.

"Despite uncertainty within the sector, the standard of entries this year has been exceptionally high, with nominations ranging from innovative small-scale schemes, through to multi-million pound sustainable developments."

Highly Commended

Building Conservation

• Clitheroe Castle, Lancashire
• Sir John Barrow Monument, Ulverston, Cumbria

Community Benefit

• Bury Divisional Headquarters, Greater Manchester Police

Design and Innovation

• South Cheshire College Campus, Crewe

Residential

• Ripon Crescent, Lostock, Urmston

The RICS North West Awards were sponsored by English Heritage, graphics specialists MPG, events company R&B Group and demolition firm Windmill.