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Flintshire celebrates national award wins

Published: 24/07/2017

Flintshire County Council was a big winner at the Constructing Excellence Wales (CEW) Awards Ceremony held at the Celtic Manor on Friday 14th July. At the ceremony, hosted by Jason Mohammad, the Council was awarded “Client of the Year”, after being nominated by their contractor Wates Residential, as well as another of their contractors, Galliford Try, being awarded the “Sustainability Award” for the flagship Holywell Learning Campus. The CEW Awards are a barometer for the success of the Welsh construction industry. Since the Awards started in 2006, projects and organisations taking part have delivered community benefits ranging from support for more than 300 charities, to 1,500 school placements and coordinating around 10,000 hours of volunteering. The Council was nominated by Wates Residential for their partnership working on the Strategic Housing and Regeneration Programme (SHARP). From the outset, both parties worked together to ensure a joint approach to all elements of scheme design and planning, whilst also working on community engagement and providing many community benefits for local residents. Project working groups guaranteed a close-knit, team approach to all construction, commercial and community engagement activity. Flintshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Bernie Attridge, said: “The SHARP programme is the first of its kind in Wales and is setting a national benchmark for quality and design. We are absolutely delighted to win this prestigious award and to have our housing programme highlighted in this way. A number of other local authorities have visited us to look at the progress being made and are now looking to replicate this innovative model in their own areas. Thank you to everyone at Wates for the nomination. Wates have been an excellent partner and we will continue to work with them to deliver quality housing for the residents of Flintshire.” Joanne Jamieson, Managing Director of Wates Residential, commented: “Everyone at Wates Residential would like to congratulate the Council on this award, which is deserved recognition of the landmark regeneration it is undertaking across Flintshire. We are proud to be working with the Council on the SHARP programme, which will play a key role in addressing the housing shortage in the county. The significant investment involved in our collaboration is also enabling both parties to create extensive opportunities for local employment and training and, as the project progresses, we will continue to identify ways in which we can positively impact the communities of Flintshire. Galliford Try was the contractor who delivered the state-of-the-art Learning Campus in Holywell. Flintshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Youth, Councillor Ian Roberts, said: “From the start, Galliford Try ensured that sustainability was embedded in every aspect of the project. The demolition of the old high school left a huge amount of waste but an incredible 90 per cent of on-site demolition waste was reused. Not only that, but the project secured 55 employment opportunities and 19 apprenticeships as well as many educational and community activities.” Jim Parker, Managing Director for Galliford Try North West, said: “Holywell Learning Campus has become an exemplar project not just regionally but nationally as well. The team has been exceptional in achieving over and above the targets set for them, and the award recognition they have received from Constructing Excellence is richly deserved.” Both Awards will now go forward to the UK Awards later in the year.