Housebuilder wins green award ; Crest Nicholson, which is currently building the Blenheim Square and Clarion Gate developments in Essex, has been crowned Sustainable Housebuilder of the Year

The highly coveted accolade, received at the 2011 HousebuilderAwards, recognises the developer's ongoing commitment to sustainabledevelopment, as well as its success in balancing economic,environmental and social considerations to deliver sustainable mixed-use communities.

Annette Cole, sales and marketing director for Crest NicholsonEastern, says: "It is a tremendous honour to be named SustainableHousebuilder of the Year and we are thrilled with this accolade. Theneed to reduce carbon emissions and tackle the problems posed byclimate change remains an integral part of our mission andsustainability in its broadest sense delivers real business value.

"Crest Nicholson is committed to continuing to explore the use ofnew and innovative technologies, in order to ensure sustainablestandards become far more widely used across the industry. We areextremely proud of our achievements in this area and it is wonderfulthat our efforts have been recognised by our peers."

Now in their seventh year, the Housebuilder Awards, delivered inassociation with NHBC and the Home Builders Federation, showcasebest practice ideas and technology.

The awards recognise companies that demonstrate a strongcommitment to innovation in the housebuilding industry, with thewinners all having been recognised for driving forward quality inthe delivery of new homes.

Crest Nicholson is helping firsttime buyers at its BlenheimSquare development purchase their first home by offering to pay a 5%deposit on a selection of two-bedroom apartments.

Blenheim Square is an ideal development for commuters and youngfamilies, either looking to escape inflated rental prices in Londonor just looking for their first home in the Essex countryside.

Situated in the picturesque village of North Weald, residents canenjoy the rural location, yet still be close to larger towns such asHarlow and Epping and the amenities they have to offer. Epping tubestation offers travel into London Liverpool Street in just 35minutes.

Prices for a two-bedroom apartment at Blenheim Square start fromPounds 181,500 and fourbedroom houses start from Pounds 335,000. Forfurther information, call 0870 757 8190.

At Crest Nicholson's Clarion Gate development in Chelmsford, itis offering to pay properties' stamp duty, thereby freeing up someextra cash to help with the move. Alternatively, buyers can takepart in the popular partexchange scheme, whereby Crest Nicholsonpurchases the buyer's current home, enabling them to buy a new homeat Clarion Gate.

The development comprises an elegant collection of 153traditional and contemporarystyled two, three and fourbedroom housesand one and two-bedroom apartments.

Clarion Gate has proven popular with young families, thanks toexcellent nearby schools such as Chelmsford County High for Girls.

Homes currently available at Clarion Gate comprise two-bedroomapartments from Pounds 188,000, three-bedroom houses from Pounds292,500 and four-bedroom houses from Pounds 345,000. For furtherinformation, call 0870 757 8184.