New Development scoops Innovation Award

Saturday 24th May 2008

Three Rivers Housing Association made it a hatrick of wins by scooping the ‘Innovation’ Award at the North-East’s fourth annual Constructing Excellence in the Built Environment Awards 2008.

The event, which was held at the Newcastle Marriott Gosforth Park Hotel on Friday, is an opportunity for industry leaders to turn out once a year to showcase and celebrate the achievements of the North-East’s construction industry.

Three Rivers, won the Innovation Award for its prestigious development of nine 2 and 3 bedroom homes at Jubilee Terrace in Mickleton, Teesdale. Seven of the properties there were developed for mainstream rent whilst two homes were allocated on an affordable shared equity basis.

Three Rivers’ shared equity programme is an affordable way for people looking to get a foot onto the property ladder and priority for this particular development was given to local people from the village and surrounding area of Mickleton.

The scheme is adjacent to a conservation area and was very sympathetically designed to fit into the Dales. Cllr. Pauline Charlton, Lead Member for Housing at Teesdale District Council said, “The Council welcomes the opportunity to work with partners who develop affordable homes which are sympathetically designed and distinctive to the local area but offer the highest standards that will benefit the rural community in Mickleton both now and in the future.”

Each home has been designed to Lifetime Homes Standards to achieve an Eco-homes rating of ‘good’ and have been developed using a timber frame system and modern methods of construction. The timber frame construction method offers many unique benefits to the customer such as increased insulation levels resulting in lower energy usage costs. Timber frames are used during construction as they are durable, sustainable and environmentally friendly.

The criteria for this award focused on organisations that have developed innovative solutions and highlights innovation in finding technical or environmental solutions and overcoming problems within a project or process.

It was a double celebration for Three Rivers’ Director of Development and Regeneration Lynda Peacock, as she accepted both this award on behalf of the Association but was also awarded the ‘Outstanding Achievement Award’ for her contribution to the Built Environment. Lynda commented, "It was extremely gratifying to personally receive this award and a bit of a shock , but it is good to know that we have helped influence others in terms of our sustainable and environmental housing designs as well as championing egan principles in the industry."

Catriona Lingwood, Director of Constructing Excellence in the North East, said: “The award winners this year showed a real spread right across the North East, which shows that there is excellence all around us in the built environment. The awards night was a huge success and it was fantastic to get a taste for all of the superb work which is going on in the North East.”

The Northern Edge consortium of which Three Rivers is a key member won the Innovation Award in 2006 for the £60k house design. The Association then made it two innovation wins in a row for its development of eight 2-bedroom flexible bungalows at West Rainton in County Durham.

Three Rivers along with other winners from each region in the country will travel to London to compete in the national final that will take place in November 2008.

Posted by Kim for Three Rivers Housing Association Ltd.