Former Barton Willmore senior partner Gareth Capner has been appointed chairman of the Housing Design Awards, replacing Graham Pye who died last year and who had chaired the Awards for 14 years. This year the Awards will be supported by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors as well as RIBA and the RTPI. The Department of Health is also partnering and joining forces with CLG to introduce a new award reflecting better design for housing for older people. Awards will be made both to schemes which have received planning by March 15 2010 but which are not yet complete, as well as to developments which are built out within the last two years and are partly or wholly occupied. Entries can be made at <a href="http://www.designforhomes.org">www.designforhomes.org</a>. The closing date is Friday March 5. <br>