The Accolades

The Housing Summit also focused on the importance of recognizing achievements already being made by the region’s support bodies and housing deliverers – with the introduction of SWHI Accolades, each of which was sponsored and selected by a major organisation.

The Accolades, sponsors, and recipients included:

1. Delivering green infrastructure through “joined-up” government.
   
   Natural England presented the Accolade to Plymouth City Council and its many organizational partners, including Primary Care Trusts, education authorities, the Environment Agency, etc in delivering a series of projects to improve health through providing green infrastructure (eg, open space, walkways, sports facilities, and teaching inititiavives).
2. Successful partnership between a house-builder and housing associations.
   
   The National Housing Federation (NHF) presented the Accolade to Mi-Space, a specialist business within the Midas Group, for work with Magna Housing Association and Flourish Homes to delivery sustainable communities with a wide mix of different types of well designed housing.
3. Parish councils delivering affordable homes for local workers
   
   The Improvement & Development Agency for local Government (IDEA) presented the Accolade to East Portlemouth Parish Council for a community initiative that is delivering affordable homes in a locality where market-prices average more than £1million.
4. Good practice in submitting planning applications for affordable housing
   
   The Planning Advisory Service presented the Accolade to South Somerset District Council, which has demonstrated how a council can deliver good housing results in reasonable time and with community support.
5. Planning for the future
   
   The Planning Inspectorate presented this Accolade to South Hams District Council for delivering one of the South West’s first and best Local Development Frameworks – the key to identifying where new and affordable housing will be provided.
6. Achievement of the Chartered Institute of Housing’s South West pledges
   
   The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) presented this Accolade to West Country Housing for their South West Homes initiative, the body selected to deliver a wide range of Government “Home Buy” programmes, to help deliver affordable homes in the South West.
7. Engaging residents in delivering balanced and sustainable communities
   
   South West Councils presented this Accolade to Bristol City Council for its Lockleaze project that successfully engaged the local community in delivery planning and housing solutions in preparation for an upturn in the economy.
8. Integrated public investment in infrastructure
   
   The Royal Town Planning Institute SW presented this Accolade to South West Councils, Arup, and DTZ for the creation of a formula to co-ordinate all public sector infrastructure capital investment to deliver housing.