Harpenden Society Awards for developments completed in 2017

Awards for four new Harpenden developments

Rothamsted Research and Lawes Agricultural Trust (LAT) received The Harpenden Society Award Scheme's Certificate of Merit for developments completed in 2017. The accolade was bestowed on De Ramsey Court and Fisher Court, a pair of new student accommodation buildings on the Rothamsted campus, ‘in recognition of their architectural quality and construction'.  Society chairman Phil Waters presented the Certificate to LAT chairman Graham Birch  at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new buildings coming into use.

This year three other developments in the town received

Harpenden Society Letters of Commendation.

The new housing off Westfield Road, close to the River Lea, adjacent to the Red Cow public house, was recognised notably for the good use, made by the developer Ridgepoint Homes, of the land originally occupied by D V Baulk's builder's yard and appropriately named Baulk Close

Closer to the town centre, there was recognition of the sympathetic conversion and extension by Jarvis Homes of the large detached house - originally built in 1906 - at no 7 Arden Grove, into eleven apartments, under the name Arden Court. Jarvis managing director Mike Peters was presented with the award by Phil Waters and Harpenden Society Awards group chairperson Penny Ayres, who affirmed that the development ‘enhances the street scene as well as adding usefully to the town's housing stock'. 
 

 
A quite different transformation of an existing building nearby, which the Society deemed worthy of recognition is the conversion of the former main Post Office in Station Road into the eye-catching Côte Brasserie restaurant. In the words of the commendation, ‘it has enhanced an otherwise dull building with attractive awnings and window boxes'