Hosted by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), the Welsh Housing Awards took place on Thursday 27th November in Cardiff and highlighted the creativity, passion and innovation of organisations and individuals across the Welsh housing sector.
On the night, Lovell was announced as the winner in two categories, ‘Developing high quality homes’ and ‘Community focused contractor’, after being shortlisted a total of five times.
The ‘Developing high quality homes’ award recognises organisations involved in building new social and affordable homes across Wales. The judges were looking for homes at the cutting edge of innovation, which have helped meet housing needs and delivered multiple benefits for the local community.
Lovell and its partners Tirion Homes, Hedyn and Welsh Government received the award for the mixed tenure Royal Victoria Court development in Newport. Located on the site of the former Whiteheads steelworks, Royal Victoria Court consist of 528 properties, including 264 open market sale Lovell homes and 234 affordable homes for rent with Tirion, alongside an additional 30 properties for low-cost home ownership through Hedyn.
Since work commenced in 2021, the development has created over 850 new jobs, including 106 apprenticeships and work placements, and Lovell has supported multiple community groups, charities and schools.
The second award, ‘Community focused contractor’, highlights organisations that show real commitment to delivering community benefits and providing local jobs and training opportunities.
This award went to Lovell for the St Mellons Community Living Project, which is being built for Cardiff Council. The scheme will provide high-quality, independent living accommodation for older people, with a total of 60 one and two-bedroom, self-contained apartments for social rent and a wide range of communal facilities.
Social value has been embedded into the project, with Lovell having supported a wide range of charities, schools and grassroots organisations. The total worth of donations made is over £16,500 and staff have contributed over 80 volunteer hours to support local events. A host of careers talks and workshops were also hosted for students and their parents, and the development has supported 55 apprentices through structured programmes.
At the Welsh Housing Awards, Royal Victoria Court was also nominated for ‘Excellence in housing innovation’, and the completed The Mill development in Canton, Cardiff was up for ‘Positive placemaking’. Chartist Garden Village, a project delivered by Lovell and Pobl Group, was also shortlisted for ‘Positive placemaking’ and ‘Developing high quality homes’.
James Duffett, regional managing director at Lovell, said: “Winning two Welsh Housing Awards is a fantastic achievement, and I am incredibly proud of everyone who has been involved in both projects. Without the hard work and support of our employees, subcontractors and partners, these wins wouldn’t have been possible.
“Both of these awards recognise our commitment to delivering high-quality new homes, sustainable communities and long-lasting community benefits. At Lovell we strongly believe in building more than just homes, we’re building a legacy and places that put people first, and it’s an honour to have our efforts awarded.”
