Guidelines For Best Kept Awards
The Competitions have been held annually since 1957 and the judging guidelines below now apply to all competitions.
- As judging is to be completely impartial it is desirable that a judge will not live, work, or have a relevant connection to an area which he or she is judging.
- Judging panels shall be formulated in a manner approved by the Council.
- Judging will not take place during abnormal conditions such as Public Holidays, Fair Days etc. Entrants are to advise the council of such dates at the time of entry into a competition.
The entries within each category will be divided into groups for judging by a single judge. The top two entries within each judge’s group will proceed to a final judging stage. - Final judging for each category will be carried out by a panel of no less then two judges, neither of whom shall be involved in the interim judging of the same category.
- No members of the Council or employee of the Council are to act as a judge in any competition.
- Final judging marks to be presented to the Board of Council for ratification before publication.
- The panel of judges will meet with the Executive Officer and a Board Member(s) prior to the commencement of judging.
Names of judges should remain anonymous.
No date of judging will be made public prior to the judging of an area. - A Winner of a category three times consecutively will be invited to enter on a non – competitive basis for the fourth time.
- It is the duty of Council Members, employees and judges to endeavour to act in the best interests of the objectives of the Council.
- The decision of the Board is Final. Judging Guidelines for Best Kept Competitions for Health and Social Care Facilities, Schools and Housing Areas.
The guidelines for Towns and Villages shall apply except as modified by (a), (b) and (c) below
(a) Judging by individual judges will be permitted in any category.
(b) Generally, one-stage judging will apply.
(c) In the event of a tie, joint winners will be declared.
When does judging take place?
Judging is undertaken by panels of judges throughout the Province during the months of May to August. Awards are presented September/October each year.
Schools are judged during March – May and Awards are presented in June.
