A LOCAL council award – won last year by a couple from Walsoken – was launched this week. The Mayor of King s Lynn Annual Design in the Environment Awards set out to acknowledge the special effort made by small local companies or private individuals carry

A LOCAL council award - won last year by a couple from Walsoken - was launched this week.

The Mayor of King's Lynn Annual Design in the Environment Awards set out to acknowledge the special effort made by small local companies or private individuals carrying out extensions, conversions, landscaping and enhancement schemes.

"Even small-scale commercial or industrial schemes and small estates can be considered for the awards," said the mayor, Councillor Ann Clery-Fox.

"The aim of these awards is to raise the profile of some of the excellent design and development work that has been carried out in the borough.

"By doing so, we believe it can inspire others to go that extra mile when they are planning their development works, and it is also a way for us to say thanks for the contribution that has been made to the appearance of the area."

Winners of the 2005 Barn Conversion Award last May, Nadine and Nick Blunt, of Popenhoe Barn, Station Road, Walsoken, said: "Being shortlisted for this award and then actually winning it was beyond our wildest dreams.

"When we look back over the last five years to the early sketches with our architect, Grahame Seaton, to the planning stages, research into the history of our barn, the toils of living on-site and the extreme hours that went into the renovation, the ceremony at the Town Hall was a real acknowledgement of the effort we had put in to making our visions a reality."

To be considered for the 2006 Awards, schemes must have been completed between January and December 2006.

Application forms can also be downloaded from www.west-norfolk.gov.uk