GRAYSHOTT architects Plan A beat off stiff competition to win not one but three awards in the annual Waverley borough-wide competition to recognise outstanding new development.

The company’s pioneering design for a stand-alone new building with a rainbow canopy to expand Wonersh and Shamley Green into a junior school, won the best new building and best new community building awards and was also voted favourite development by the public in the people’s choice award.

Waverley Design Awards was launched in 1995 and since then, the bi-annual event has grown to include education awards for Waverley schools, colleges and universities.

The expert judges who selected the award winners, included RIBA South East chairman Laith Anayi, Peter Waters from UCA Farnham, and Peter Mills from the Institute of Historic Building Conservation.

The judges joined Waverley Mayor Mike Band and Waverley design champion councillor David Else at the presentation ceremony, which was held at St Catherine’s School, Bramley.

To make Plan A’s awards more personal, Waverley commissioned a local glass artist to top its people’s choice award trophy with a replica of the company’s distinctive canopy for the school.

Speaking after the ceremony, Plan A joint director Paul Ginever said: “It’s very exciting to get three awards. We are very grateful both to the judges and members of the public.

“The project was exceptionally challenging but thoroughly enjoyable because everyone was 100 percent committed.

“We have been in Grayshott for 10 years and we chose the village because it’s such good connections to all of the South East and it’s a really nice place to be with a good community spirit.”

Brian Adams, Waverley’s portfolio holder for planning, said: “I have been blown away by the incredibly high standard of entries for this year’s awards. It’s great to see new development in Waverley being beautifully constructed, with thought about how it can enhance the surrounding environments.”

To find out more about the Design Awards, visit waverley.gov.uk/designawards.