A new music school and a college training the next generation of rail engineers are among the projects vying for titles at the 2018 RICS West Midlands Awards.

The annual ceremony recognises the most inspirational initiatives and developments in land, property, construction and the environment across the region.

Among those shortlisted this year are Birmingham City University's new conservatoire and the National College for High Speed Rail, both in Jennens Road.

Also featuring in the shortlist are the University of Birmingham's new library, the revamp of the old Lewis's department store in Bull Street and the conversion of the Harrison Drape factory in Digbeth into apartments, now called Fabrick Square.

The awards, run by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, have eight categories with one winner chosen as the overall project of the year, won in 2017 by the Birmingham Institute for Forest Research in Staffordshire.

Regional winners will then be invited to a national grand final in November where an overall UK project of the year will be chosen, won in 2017 by the Remembrance Centre at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire and Grand Central/New Street station in 2016.

The full shortlist is:

Building Conservation

Attingham Park Visitor Centre, Biomass Plant and Stables Cafe Renovations, Shrewsbury

The Boathouse, Warwick Castle

Weavers' Cottages, Kidderminster

Commercial

Deloitte Birmingham

Exactaform Cutting Tools, Coventry

Kingswood Lakeside First Choice Catering Spares, Cannock

The Lewis Building, Birmingham

TouchBase Pears, Selly Oak

World of Wedgwood, Stoke-on-Trent

Inside the new-look Lewis Building
Inside the new-look Lewis Building

Community Benefit

TouchBase Pears, Selly Oak

University of Birmingham Library

Weavers' Cottages, Kidderminster

Design through Innovation

National College for High Speed Rail, Birmingham

Royal Conservatoire Birmingham

The Science Technology & Prototyping Centre, Wolverhampton

University of Birmingham Library

Principal Julian Lloyd Webber inside the new Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Principal Julian Lloyd Webber inside the new Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

Infrastructure

Kingswood Lakeside First Choice Catering Spares, Cannock

Tool Box Talk Video Infrastructure, Stafford

University of Worcester, replacement and upgrade of its infrastructure

Regeneration

Fabrick Square, Birmingham

Friargate Coventry

National College for High Speed Rail, Birmingham

Refurbishment of Wolverhampton Civic Centre

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

The Lewis Building, Birmingham

The Science Technology & Prototyping Centre, Wolverhampton

Fabrick Square in Digbeth
Fabrick Square in Digbeth

Residential

Glenart Castle Mess, Longbridge

Maple West, Stoke-on-Trent

Oak Priory, Stoke-on-Trent

Tourism and Leisure

Attingham Park Visitor Centre, Biomass Plant and Stables Cafe Renovations, Shrewsbury

The Mill Barns, Bridgenorth

World of Wedgwood, Stoke-on-Trent

Gurdip Chamba, chairman of the West Midlands judging panel, said: "Last year I was extremely proud to see our region take home the overall title of national project of the year for the second year running.

"The National Memorial Arboretum's Remembrance Centre showcased exemplary talent and plays a significant role in lives of so many people across the UK.

"The West Midlands continues to grow into a place of real significance for the UK and our built environment plays an integral part to our future success and this year's projects continue to emphasise the fantastic talent behind the future of our built environment."

The award ceremony takes place on May 2 at Grand Station in Wolverhampton.