A group of Britain's leading designers aims to make Lake District tourism accommodation better than the best'.

The Northwest Development Agency has funded a number of pilot schemes as part of the Lake District Renaissance project. The Better than the Best' scheme aims to establish the area as the UK's premier rural tourist destination.

Cumbria Tourist Board invited five top designers to come up with suggestions on how to improve the Lakes experience within different categories of accommodation in the area. Daniel Hopwood, one of the presenters of Channel 4's Britain's Best Home, looked at improving town house hotels while Mick Nash, from Sedley Place, looked at country house hotels; Bill Shuttleworth, from Unwin Jones, at self-catering lodgings; Corporate Edge's Neil Fairplay at bed and breakfast accommodation; and Deborah Nagan, from NaganJohnson, at youth hostels.

The design conference, which took place at Rheged, Penrith, featured mood boards with ideas for materials and sample designs that, it is hoped, will inspire the region's hoteliers.

Chairman of CTB, Eric Robson, said the next steps would be dependant on funding but that the five designers had done an important job in helping to point the way forward, and some of the design ideas would be of immediate benefit to tourism businesses.

"There are a number of other ways that we hope to take this project forward that will require additional funding and discussions with the industry," he said. "These might include design surgeries where businesses would be able to get free or subsidised advice from professional designers, a new scheme to make it easier for businesses to get good quality, affordable materials and a number of complete design projects that would help to demonstrate excellence in design."

A CD with images from the project and a design advice sheet for proprietors will be made available through CTB. Contact Melanie Clarkson on 015394-44444 for more information.