B3Living’s Development department has been shortlisted for ‘Development Team of the Year’ at the prestigious Inside Housing Development Awards.

The shortlisting follows the team’s most successful year for growing its development programme. B3Living is set to deliver 114% of the Borough of Broxbourne’s target for affordable homes in 2021-22, and the team secured the largest new scheme in B3Living’s history during the 2020 national lockdown.

Our Chief Executive, Steve Woodcock, said, “This team have had many highlights in recent months, notwithstanding the pandemic and other unprecedented challenges. So I’m very proud they have achieved this recognition.”

At seven members, the team was described as “punching above their weight”, with the 376 homes that started on site in the last 18 months representing significant growth for a 5,000-home organisation. The team stressed that their focus was not purely on the numbers, with customer voice, building safety, and values-based partnerships mentioned as other areas of focus. Recently B3Living’s Development team has:

• Used Facebook to consult customers on new home layouts.
• Negotiated specifications above Building Regulation requirements for non-combustible materials, full sprinkler systems, and balcony design.
• Changed their standard specifications to help to alleviate furniture poverty.

Jon Hayden, our Executive Director (Development), added, “Our Development team has given 110%, so I’m delighted for them. But at B3Living, we talk about ‘one team’, and this achievement reflects the hard work going on across the whole organisation. There will be strong competition on the night, and I’ll be wishing everyone the best of luck.”

Well done team!