Judges have begun the hard task of deciding the winners in the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) Best Building Design Award competition.

Buildings entered for the award – which aims to promote examples of both innovative and sensitive developments – range from private houses and pubs to a domestic weaving studio and a barn.

Andrew McCullagh, the YDNPA’s Deputy Head of Planning, said: “We are looking for designs that are exciting, stimulating and innovative but, at the same time, are sympathetic to the beautiful landscape of the National Park.

“We have been really pleased with the variety we have received – there are some interesting and unusual schemes.”

The competition is open to anyone who owns or has in any way been involved in a development that has been substantially completed since 1 January 2003, or from anyone else who simply thinks that a particular development has been successfully carried out and is worthy of an award.

Awards will be made in each of six categories listed on the website but, as these are not mutually exclusive, buildings can be nominated in more than one. Two of the categories are specific to the ideas of innovation and energy sustainability and the others relate to different types of development.

Evaluation criteria will be slightly different for each category, but a common theme will be evidence of attention being given to the individuality of each site in terms of the opportunities it offers and the constraints it imposes.

The 20 entries will be visited this month by a team of four judges, chaired by the eminent international architect Robin Snell and including locally-based conservation architect Paul Crosby. There will be an awards ceremony in the autumn to coincide with the publication of an illustrated brochure, when winners will be presented with commemorative plaques.

Details of the Best Building Design Awards can be found on the Authority website www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/bbda or can be obtained by contacting Lesley Knevitt at the YDNPA on 01969 652326 or by emailing lesley.knevitt@yorkshiredales.org.uk