RESTORED Victorian buildings and innovative new designs have been officially commended in a town watchdog's annual awards.

A flats conversion at the old All Saints School on Leeds Road, the former Ardenlea cancer centre, and the Abbeyfield integrated care project are among those singled out for acclaim by Ilkley Civic Society this year.

The awards scheme highlights examples of conservation and design in new developments which members feel contribute or fit in well with the town. This year a small projects award has been added to help encourage smaller improvements schemes.

The society says in addition it has handed out commendations this year because of the large number of projects nominated for awards.

Chairman Helen Kidman, said: "This year's nominations have exceeded by far those of past awards and we're delighted to be able to recognise so many good projects that have been newly built or conserved."

She urges members of the public, builders or designers to make nominations for the 2005 awards.

The Civic Society's best Conservation Award went jointly to Tower Court, Leeds Road, and Thorpe Hall on Queen's Drive.

Tower Court is part of the old All Saints School, which has been converted into flats. The conversion has involved the complex job of fitting flats into a building of unusual shape, as it has been extended and altered over the years.

Thorpe Hall, known in recent years as Marie Curie Cancer Care's Ardenlea centre, shares the Conservation award with Tower Court. The Civic Society said the 1881-built house retains so many of the original features - including reverting to the name of the family which built it. Many of the original ornate plaster cornices and floor tiling still remain and it retains the central hallway feature and staircase.

Also in the Conservation category, the conversion of Middleton House, the Victorian extension of listed building Middleton Lodge, to a single residence, and the splitting of Arundel Lodge into two residential units gained commendations.

Abbeyfield's multi-million pound integrated care project on The Grove - using the former Grove Convalescent Home - takes the Civic Society Design Award for 2004.

The centre uses the old home's external walls for communal facilities for older people, and a major extension was added to the back for rooms.

Design features of interest picked out by Ilkley Civic Society include a glass-clad corridor in the courtyard, built outside the old stone walls, a modern circular leaded roofed sitting area, and sensitive use of traditional materials to Ilkley done in a modern way.

The new Small Projects Award category attracted 16 entries, including many shop front improvements highlighted by the Civic Society. The society has been one of the strongest opponents of external shop-front shutters in Ilkley, in the recent debate about acceptable shop front security.

The winner of the award was Bart'at, on Cunliffe Road, for its new extension. The bar and restaurant proved to be so successful, it needed more space for eating and drinking. The solution was to add a simple extension to the original Victorian terrace, using traditional materials.

A number of shops and businesses were commended in this award category for giving buildings a 'facelift' - in some cases after a the building changed hands.

Shoe shop Charles Klinkard was commended for its new modern shop front and canopy, and clothing store Habiller was commended for its new site on Springs Promenade.

The Civic Society congratulated the business on setting up a lights-on shop front display behind the perforated internal shop-front shutters, which members say helps the business look occupied and worth looking in outside of opening hours.

"This is in sharp contrast to some other shopowners who seem to have forgotten what a shopfront is for," said the Civic Society.

A 'run-down' shop-front on Leeds Road was given a new lease of life by Treacle Moon, says the society, in a prominent position on the entrance to Ilkley. And the Red Pepper Deli and Aalsmeer Flowers in Ben Rhydding have been commended for their part in the revival of the area.

"Both these shops have given the area a lift and made it worth visiting by retaining and just maintaining original shopfronts," the society said. Ilkley Civic Society also commended the front elevation above Wilkinsons the Butchers on Brook Street, which has been refurbished and converted to flats. Members said the building above the shop was in danger of falling into dereliction, but is now vastly improved.

The awards are to be presented at the Civic Society's annual general meeting tonight .