A magical evening ceremony, featuring fourteen Essex Awards 2024 winners across twelve categories, was held in association with Briketts LLP, on Thursday, 7 November 2024.
What a turnout! Beginning with an air of suspense and then breaking into enthusiastic celebration and camaraderie, an audience of 160+ housing enthusiasts gathered to honour the achievements in housing at the Essex Housing Awards 2024.
The evening took place at the Greenwoods Hotel & Spa last week with attendees including large to medium / small house builders, housing associations, local authorities, contractors, agents throughout the region and Homes England.
Mark Curle, Chair of Essex Developers Group (EDG) and Helen McCabe, Chair of the South Essex Housing Group (SEHG), welcomed attendees and emphasised how the event enables everyone to reflect, acknowledge their peers for their work, and share best practice to inspire a better year for Housing in Essex.
They were followed by a few words from Steven Kay, Partner and Head of Housebuilders at Birketts LLP, the event’s headline partner, who said: “Birketts LLP is honoured to have sponsored the Essex Housing Awards for the fourth year, celebrating excellence in housing across Essex and recognising the hard work and vision of so many.
“It’s inspiring to see this event grow year after year as we celebrate the achievements of individuals and organisations making significant contributions to the housing sector. Their skills and dedication not only provide homes but also build communities and transform lives.
“Congratulations to all the winners and shortlisted entrants, and thank you to everyone who joined us for a fantastic evening. Here’s to continued success and commitment in the housing sector!”
Bringing dynamic energy, BBC’s Mark Easton, hosted the Awards for the third consecutive year, returning after many personal requests. His humour, mirth and knowledge of housing kept the room engaged during the event’s main event, the presentation of 12 awards, three of which were new this year. With the aim to strengthen partnerships and commend excellence across the public, private, and voluntary sectors, the Awards is committed to raising the bar in Essex housing, providing a better quality of life for its residents.
The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the final award, ‘The Mo Slade Rising Star,’ sponsored by Anderson Developments. Named in memory of the late Mo Slade, a passionate advocate for youth who served Basildon Council for over 47 years, this award honours emerging talent and has quickly become a favourite category.
This year, Mo’s son and daughter joined the audience, a touching reminder of her lasting legacy. The award went to Rosie O’Neill from CHP, making for a heartwarming moment as her entire team was there to celebrate her success. The room erupted in applause, with cheers and even a few standing ovations, bringing the event to a joyful close.
Following a memorable evening, we were delighted to receive some wonderful post-ceremony feedback. One that stood out was from Gemma Gallagher, Head of Marketing and Partnerships at Kind & Co, our sponsor, who said: “Kind was delighted to attend the Essex Housing Awards last Friday and our CEO Bill Bassenger was pleased to present the winning scheme for Climate Action: ‘Hollymead Square’ built in collaboration with Octopus Energy’s ‘Zero Bills for five years’ scheme.
“It is great to see smart ways of bringing quality homes to communities across Essex that are providing new and affordable energy solutions for consumers! It was a fantastic evening congrats to the Essex Housing Awards on a fantastic event!”
The 14 winners of the Essex Awards 2024 are as follows:
Small Housing Schemes (1-24 homes)
Winner: Silver Band Close – Colchester Borough Homes
Highly Commended: Phase 7 Programme – Sempra Homes Ltd & Basildon Borough Council
Medium Housing Schemes (25-100 homes) by Spicerhaart Land & New Homes
Winner: Shernbroke, Waltham Abbey – Essex Housing
Highly Commended: Brierely Paddocks, Mersea Island – CHP
Large Housing Schemes (101+ homes) sponsored by Birketts
Winner: Millbrook Studios, Harlow – @Hollybrook
Excellence in Design and Placemaking
Winner: Countryside and L&Q The Oracle Group
Highly Commended: Lawford Green – Rose
Excellence in Construction Skills by CHP
Winner: Construction Management Higher Technical Qualification – South Essex College
Highly Commended: Climate and Planning Unit, Essex County Council
Climate Action – Decarbonisation / Retrofit / New Build by Kind & Company
Winner: Hollymead Square – The Hill Group, Clarion Housing Group & Octopus Energy
Highly Commended: Climate and Planning Unit, Essex County Council
Meeting Housing Need
Winner: New Build & Acquisition Programme – Sempra Homes Ltd & Basildon Borough Council
Highly Commended: CHP
Housing and Development Professional of the Year by Countryside Partnerships (part of the Vistry Group)
Winner: Melanie Keys from Sempra Homes
Highly Commended: Vikki Barnes, CHP
Highly Commended: Nicola Melville, Climate and Planning Unit, Essex County Council
The Mo Slade Rising Star Award sponsored by Anderson Development
Winner: Rosie O’Neill from CHP
Highly Commended: Joe Orves, Colchester Borough Homes
Highly Commended: Joe Stanhope, Sempra Homes and Basildon Borough Council
Excellence in Biodiversity Conservation and Enhancement (NEW)
Winner: The Wildfell Centre for Environmental Recovery – Ground Control
Highly Commended: Spains Hall Estate
Healthy Housing (NEW)
Winner: South Essex Homes – Domestic Abuse
Smart Working (NEW)
Winner: Estuary Housing Association
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Explore our interactive programme to discover more about our finalists and their amazing contributions, as well as our sponsors:
https://indd.adobe.com/view/f5a50658-f3c7-4e27-8d48-08b49ae30bc7
The Essex Housing Awards 2024 is brought together in partnership with the Housing Essex, Essex Developers Group (EDG), the South Essex Housing Group (SEHG), and the Essex Housing Officers Group (EHOG) and is sponsored by Birketts, Anderson Developments, CHP, Countryside Partnerships (part of the Vistry Group), Ground Control, Kind & Company and Spicerhaart Land & New Homes, and is supported by Rentplus and Estuary Housing Association.
For more information on the awards programme, visit:
https://www.housingessex.org/essex-housing-awards-2024/
Follow the Awards on:
Twitter @EssxHousingAwds #EssexHousingAwards
LinkedIn: Essex Housing Awards
