Network Homes wins Gold for Best Starter Home Scheme at WhatHouse? Awards 2017

Network Homes won Gold for Best Starter Home Scheme at the WhatHouse? Awards on 17 November for The Crescent - a collection of 11 townhouses in Hertford. It’s the second year running that Network Homes has won this award.

The award is presented to the organisation the judges feel has offered quality, value for money and given first time buyers the opportunity to get onto the property ladder.

Network Homes transformed tired, rundown properties into 35 new homes for local people, including the 11 shared ownership homes which form The Crescent with the remainder for affordable rent. The homes offer a rare opportunity for local people to buy a home at an affordable price in one of the most expensive local authority areas in the country.

The Crescent is part of Network Homes’ wider regeneration of the Sele Farm Estate in Hertford, which includes transformation of the Ridgeway into 120 modern, mixed tenure family homes.

Set across three floors, the homes come with two spacious balconies, contemporary fitted kitchens, fully integrated appliances and a sizeable private garden. The homes are perfect for family living and ideally suited to first time buyers.

The judges’ report said: “This popular area … has very little of this kind of property available, and Network Homes has worked hard with East Herts District Council to produce high-quality homes aimed specifically at the local market. This development has achieved its success in the category with this excellent combination of quality, price and service for those purchasing a first home.”

Vicky Savage, Executive Director of Development at Network Homes said: “This prestigious award is great recognition of the work we do to provide quality affordable homes for local people. The Crescent is a stunning collection of townhouses in a great location in Hertford, perfect for first time buyers and families.”

Andy Bugler, CEO of Bugler Group added “This is the latest in a long line of successful projects we have built for Network Homes in the East Herts region and we are delighted that this scheme has received such fantastic recognition by securing this Award.  From my regular visits to site I could see that the whole team were fully committed to constructing high quality homes for all to be proud of.  It was also great to witness how engaged the project team were with the local community with initiatives such as the hoarding poster painting competition involving Sele Farm Primary School.”

Carol Cairns, Head of Home Ownership and Supply for the South East for the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) said: “It’s great to see The Crescent get national recognition. This development is as an excellent example of our commitment to increase the supply of new affordable, homes so that more local people in Hertford have the opportunity to have a home of their own.”

The WhatHouse? Awards are one of the most prestigious awards events in the housing industry calendar, attracting high quality entries from across the entire housing market and all major private and housing association developers. This latest accolade follows Network Homes winning Landlord of the Year at the RESI Awards in June and first prize at the London Homelessness Awards in October, for an innovative project with New Horizon Youth Centre to tackle youth homelessness.

© Philippa Gedge Photography.