English Partnerships Recognised for Housebuilding Innnovation

English Partnerships, the national regeneration agency, has received industry recognition for its regeneration programmes at the Housebuilding Innovation Awards 2007. The awards, announced on 1 November by organisers Housebuilder magazine and the Home Builders Federation included three English Partnerships winning schemes and two other shortlisted entries.

Steve Carr, Head of Policy and Economics at English Partnerships said: “I am delighted to see so many of our projects gaining recognition from the industry we work so closely with. Alongside our developer partners, and others, we are working hard to raise the bar in design, quality and innovation. Achieving this aim is essential to the long-term success of each development as enjoyable and affordable places for people to live.”

The winning and shortlisted schemes are:

• New Islington Millennium Community, East Manchester, one of seven Millennium Communities aiming to deliver sustainable developments to Eco Homes ‘Excellent’ standard (Winner of best example of community consultation)
• Telford Millennium Community (Phase 1), East Ketley, another Millennium Community, on English Partnerships’ land that is creating 750 new Eco Homes ‘Excellent’ homes on brownfield land for local people (Winner of best innovation in design)
• Oxley Woods, Milton Keynes, part of the Design for Manufacture competition, which drives down construction costs while maximising design and environmental quality, on English Partnerships’ land (Winner of best material/product innovation)
• Chimney Pot Park, Salford, a scheme intended to rejuvenate a failing housing area by radically redesigning the Victorian terraced homes for 21st Century living. (Shortlisted for best marketing innovation)
• Upton, Northampton, an urban extension on English Partnerships’ land that will help meet local housing demands, providing around 1000 environmentally sustainable new homes and many community facilities (Shortlisted for best innovation in design)

The awards aim to recognise companies that are demonstrating a commitment to innovation in the house building industry. They were awarded to the developers responsible for building each of the winning schemes in English Partnerships’ regeneration programmes.