Chester Cathedral, Chester Zoo and the Northgate Development were among the winners at The Cheshire West Design Awards for 2025.
The ceremony, held at Chester Town Hall and attended by more than 140 people, saw many of the region’s architectural design and property professionals gather to celebrate Cheshire West’s best places and building projects completed over the last four years in five categories – commercial, community, public realm, residential and sustainable design and construction.
The winners included:
Commercial: The Square at Chester Zoo, the Northgate Development and The Old Post Office in St John St, Chester. Commendations were given for Okells Hoole, The Station Tap in Chester and The White Horse in Churton. A highly commended went to 15-23 Frodsham Street, Chester.
Community: Awards for Community New Build and Refurbishment to Theatre Porto in Ellesmere Port and Chester Cathedral for the West End Reordering including the new doorway. Commendations went to Hoole Tennis Club’s Clubhouse, The Portal in Ellesmere Port and Five Villages Hall at Backford.
Public Realm Regeneration: The award for Public Realm Regeneration to Chester Town Hall Square and for Conservation & Restoration for the work on Chester Rows. Commendations were awarded to The Narrows Community Park, the Thomas Brassey Statue outside Chester Station, the Wirral Way and Blacon’s Parade Pedestrianised Area.
Residential Development: The award for Residential Renovation and Conservation was given to Grosvenor Hart Homes for its work on the Alms Houses in Chester, and the award for Residential New Build went to The Knoll in Mouldsworth. Commendations went to Pure Homes for Beaufort Court, Carden Homes for Old Hall Country Estate, The Boathouse in Farndon and The Flaggs and Hamilton House in Tarvin.
Sustainability: The award went to Chester Zoo for their work on the Nature Recovery Corridor covering 60 hectares between Chester and Ellesmere Port. Commended were Eco House at the Cheshire College South and West’s Ellesmere College campus, Chester Cathedral’s Solar Panels and the University of Chester’s School of Education conversion.
Peter Hadfield, Chair of Judges, said: “By rewarding the best architectural projects, this award scheme stimulates interest in our built environment and develops a deeper and broader appreciation of both traditional craft skills and high-quality contemporary construction.
“The aim of these awards is to make Cheshire West and Chester a better place to live, work and visit by encouraging outstanding design and projects and gaining national recognition for this.”
Samantha Dixon, MP for Chester North and Neston, said: “The role of skilled designers, architects, and built-environment professionals is vital. We are incredibly fortunate to have such talent here in our region, collaborating and working together. The award winners show that design in Cheshire West and Chester can be inspiring, practical, sustainable and rooted in the distinct character of our communities.”
The awards, previously known as the Cheshire Awards for Design and Conservation are made every five years and were first held in 1979 to celebrate the 1900th anniversary of the foundation of Chester, as an awards scheme for conservation projects.
The awards have grown into a partnership between Cheshire West and Chester Council, Chester Civic Trust and the Cheshire Society of Architects.
The next awards will be made in 2030.
