HAWORTH'S grade II* listed parish church has been shortlisted for an award designed to highlight and reward inclusivity in building design.

The church is in the Best Inclusive Building category for the West Yorkshire Building Excellence Awards.

This round of local awards is part of the 2018 Local Authority Building Control (LABC) award scheme.

Access to the church has been dramatically improved for users of all abilities, by removing an awkward timber entrance lobby and installing an automatic, glazed entrance door set in a solid oak frame.

The same project also created a new catering area and toilet facilities, with an easily accessible toilet and baby-changing provision.

The LABC awards celebrate achievements in the construction industry. They were set up to reward excellent buildings, outstanding companies, and partnerships and individuals that "go that extra mile".

A spokesman for the church's custodians said: "The building has been selected from a list of nominations consisting of schemes throughout West Yorkshire.

"And the church will find out whether it has been chosen as one of the projects to go through to the regional stage at an elegant black-tie ceremony, which will be staged at the Best Western Cedar Court Hotel, in Bradford, on Friday June 8.

"If Haworth Parish Church’s project is selected then the next stage will see it judged against entries from east, north and south Yorkshire with the ultimate destination being the national finals in London on Friday November 9."

Reverend Peter Mullins, the recently-appointed rector of Haworth Parish Church, said: “It has been a real pleasure arriving at a church which has taken the issue of good access so seriously and so creatively.

"It would be stunning if those who have worked so hard were to be rewarded by this sort of recognition.”

Stephen Dixon, the church’s architect of Leeds-based Calls Architecture, said: “Besides its congregation, Haworth Parish Church also receives many thousands of tourists each year but, until recently, it had only a single toilet that was unsuitable for disabled users and served only the vestry.

“The main public entrance to the church is via the north porch which had a draughty lobby dating from the 1960s that presented a barrier to both wheelchair and pram users.

"Now, access to the church has been dramatically improved for users of all abilities. The awkward entrance lobby has been removed and the new automatic, glazed entrance door installed in its place.

“The project has also created a new food servery, and toilet facilities at the west end, with a fully accessible toilet and baby-change facility.”