A GLITTERING evening at the Boathouse, Wisbech, provided the highlight of this year s Fenland District Council/Cambs Times/ Wisbech Standard Building Design of the Year Awards. From architects to designers, from councillors and civic leaders, to home owne

A GLITTERING evening at the Boathouse, Wisbech, provided the highlight of this year's Fenland District Council/Cambs Times/ Wisbech Standard Building Design of the Year Awards.

From architects to designers, from councillors and civic leaders, to home owners and builders: all were represented as the best of Fenland's design and buildings were celebrated.

Overall winner - and the recipient of a magnificent trophy- were the owners and team responsible for an extraordinary bungalow conversion on the Cambridgeshire-Norfolk border.

The home is by a farm track from the Fifty Road between Manea and Tipps End. It's a property which has been transformed with an extraordinary three storey extension that is rounded off with an observation platform on top to enable the owners- and his guests- to view his own lake and the Welney washes.

The winner was Colony Lake, Old Bedford Bank, Welney, and the designer was Graham Seaton and owned by Mr and Mrs Peter Crout.

Winner of the community award, voted for by the readers of this newspaper, was the RAFA Club in Wisbech.

Gary Garford, corporate director for Fenland Council, said any concern that the current state of the economy might affect entries was soon dispelled as entries poured in.

"You will see for yourselves that building design in Fenland is alive and kicking," he said.

"We really feel that the entries represent the best of Fenland- both in terms of the quality of the design and construction, and also in how the council has helped to get these projects off the ground.

"This really showed what can be achieved when the public and private sector work hand in hand for the benefit of the community."

Editor John Elworthy described the winning entries as possessing a "wow factor" that impressed and he was delighted with those that had been nominated.

"I'm delighted they have been recognised through this unique awards ceremony which I believe is the only one of its kind in East Anglia if not the country," he said.

IN NEXT WEEK'S PRINT EDITION SEE THE WINNING ENTRIES AND PHOTOS FROM THE NIGHT.

AND DON'T FORGET FROM NEXT WEEK ALL THE ENTRIES WILL FEATURE IN A SPECIAL GALLERY ONLY ON THIS WEBSITE.

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