For the second year in a row, The Berkeley Group has scooped this prize, proving that time and again it is able to deliver housing its customers want while also maintaining a uniquely strong financial position

Housebuilder of the year

Sponsored by HardHat

Berkeley Group
It’s a double whammy for last year’s winner as The Berkeley Group picks up the award for Housebuilder of the year once again. Judges said the group was “consistently ahead of the game each year”, adding that chairman Tony Pidgley’s leadership has been nothing short of excellent. Indeed, Pidgley has become well known in industry circles for expertly guiding his company through the tough times, even managing to retain a zero-debt position throughout. No wonder he is a panel favourite at many an industry seminar on the future of the market. But it wasn’t just Pidgley himself that impressed. Berkeley’s figures wowed the judges, especially its £2bn future gross margin and 28,000 plots of land. One of the group’s specialties is delivering top notch urban regeneration schemes and the last 12 months has been no exception. All new developments that had planning submitted after 2010 have a formal Building for Life assessment carried out with the aim of gaining a Silver standard at the very least. If any additional proof is needed that this idea is working well for both Berkeley and the people they are building homes for, the group won five Building for Life awards in 2010 alone. The group continues to have big, bold visions and ambitions for the future including an aim to see 95% of customers happy to recommend the company to a friend within the next two years.

Runners-up

Places for People
The firm’s trademark long-term commitment to housebuilding, and its dedication to regeneration through well thought out developments is to be applauded. It has also introduced its own mortgages and equity loans to help buyers get on the housing ladder.

Bellway
Over a particularly tough 12 months, the group saw a 12.4% rise in turnover and has an order book worth £397m. Judges were particularly impressed by the company’s sustainability and health and safety credentials.

Crest Nicholson
The group’s most exciting innovation over the last 12 months was, without doubt, its exceptional Park Central scheme in Birmingham city centre. The addition of 8 acres of landscaped open parkland is extremely rare in the centre of major cities.

Redrow Homes
An exciting entry following the return of Steve Morgan to Redrow in 2010 after founding the firm in 1974. Since Morgan came back to the company, it has heavily invested in new land and recruited new staff.