Category finalists

CATEGORY WINNER: North Solihull Partnership
Solihull is one of most polarised local authority areas in the country: affluent in the south, but in the north containing three wards that count among the England’s ten per cent most deprived. In an attempt to address the problems in the north, the North Solihull Partnership was formed in 2004. The partnership’s strategic regeneration framework sets out an ambitious programme of work: improvements to 12,500 existing homes; 8,500 new homes; 10 new primary schools; £100 million investment in five new village centres – the list goes on. So far some 250 homes and two of the primary schools have been completed, while work has recently begun on one of the new village centres.

Adelaide Wharf by First Base, London
Developer First Base was chosen to manage the development of seven sites as part of the former English Partnerships’ London-Wide Initiative, designed to provide more quality affordable homes in the capital. Adelaide Wharf is one of these sites, and the scheme comprises 147 new homes, of which 50 per cent are affordable. All of the units were sold before the scheme was completed in November 2007.

Croydon Council's Urban Regeneration Vehicle, Croydon, London
This pioneering urban regeneration vehicle is a long-term partnership between Croydon Council and the developer John Laing. Under the arrangement, the authority puts in land and the developer matches this with private sector finance and development expertise to undertake a range of regeneration projects. Over the lifetime of the partnership, it is expected to deliver a new public service hub for the borough, 1500 new homes and improvements to the public realm.