A NEWLY-restored Victorian house by the noted architect E W Elmslie has been named the winner of Malvern Civic Society's annual civic award for 2016.

The award is given each year to recognise architectural achievements in the town - whether they are new buildings or sensitive restorations of historic premises.

John Dixon, who chairs the society's civic award sub-committee, said: "We are always on the look-out for new or renovated buildings, completed during the previous year, which add something special to the built environment of the area.

"The award is only a small plaque but it is highly regarded by the winning owners, builders and developers. Last year’s winner was the new Malvern Link railway station and we were hoping for nominations of similar high quality this year. We were not disappointed."

This year's winner is Elmslie House in Avenue Road, which was built in 1862, and was bought in 2013 by Anna and Bernard Taylor.

They have carried out a thorough renovation of both the house and the garden, using architect Steve Davies and a team of local craftsmen.

The house has now regained its original splendour, and at the same time is a family home and a venue for concerts and other events.

Mr Dixon said: "This iconic Victorian mansion has been saved for posterity; the craftsmanship and attention to detail have been superb and, as the owners are keen to arrange a series of public events in the house, the whole community can enjoy what has been achieved."

The other finalists included Nightingale Court, in Jenny Lind Grove. Roy Pendleton of Court Properties and designer Steven Salisbury fitted four apartments into the ground plan of the small chapel which existed there before. The new building fits in well with the residential character of the area.

No 8 the Lees is another restored Victorian house. Owner Tom Wood has totally renovated it inside and out using local expertise, bringing back to life an elegant and spacious family home and garden No 17 Imperial Road was a nondescript 1960s bungalow, but owner Owen Law, assisted by local builders Simon Rowe and Jeremy Dean, has created a spacious modern home, more than doubling the living area.

The Razak Science Centre at Malvern College was a complete renovation of two existing science buildings, one built in the 1930s and the other in the 1960s, connected together by a new state-of-the-art lecture theatre.

And the developer Ben Guthrie and Matt Banks of Glazzard Architects transformed a dull three-storey structure at the junction of Christchurch and Court Roads into the Corner, a striking modernist building which improves the character of the whole area.

"It was difficult to compare these six very different structures but, in the end, the committee’s unanimous decision was that the 2016 award should go to Elmslie House," said Mr Dixon,