A BUILDING partnership has won a national design award for two projects.

The designs of Queen Margaret's School theatre, in Escrick, near York, and Victoria Mill, in Thornton-le-Dale, were recognised at the Built in Quality awards.

Both were projects of the North Yorkshire Building Control Partnership.

Queen Margaret's School theatre won the social commercial prize. It was built to celebrate the school's recent centenary, and can be used by a wide range of community groups.

Victoria Mill came top in the environmental category. The project involved the conversion of an old flour mill into office space.

The finished building had to meet strict conservation criteria, and has a number of environmentally-friendly features, including energy eff- icient lighting and high levels of insulation, extensive landscaping and a new trout leap to allow the fish access to spawning grounds upstream.

Councillor Allin Jenkins, chairman of Ryedale District Council's planning committee and of North Yorkshire Building Control Partnership, said: "Ryedale has been at the forefront of design awards, running its own highly successful scheme for the past 15 years.

"We are delighted that these efforts have been recognised nationally in the second year of this national award scheme."