Source: Bishop's Stortford Observer 1st December 2011
Stansted based restoration experts City & Country Group has picked up two of the property industry’s biggest accolades at the What House? Awards. The company, which specialises in the restoration and conversion of historic and listed buildings, won gold in both the Best Small Housebuilder and Best Starter Home categories during the ceremony presented by comedian Hugh Dennis at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on November 18.
The judges said: ‘City & Country may be approaching its 50th birthday, but it is used to working with buildings much older than that. It’s portfolio of restorative work in sensitive conservation areas or around listed buildings is deeply impressive and its thirst for knowledge of the architectural history around which it might be working is insatiable, meaning it offers creative, new designs in keeping with their surroundings, whatever the weight of heritage around them. Architectural conviction and enthusiasm clearly resonates throughout the business.
Its joint Save Our Architectural Legacy campaign with TV’s Restoration Man George Clarke, which promotes the plight of neglected civic listed buildings, was highlighted for praise. The judges commended its community support, including the part funding of Essex County Council’s Traditional Skills Building Courses, which teach builders and homeowners how to restore treasured and iconic historic properties.
Helen Moore, Managing Director for City & Country Residential, said, ‘we are absolutely delighted to receive this ultimate recognition for our whole team, for whom it is a labour of love and a privilege to rescue and revitalise some of England’s dilapidated historic assets by turning them into unusual and sought after properties. City & Country Group is a very special business and it is always very rewarding when external industry experts concur with that view. In each of our beautiful developments we have worked tirelessly in our pursuit of excellence and the team has sought out challenging and exciting new opportunities to create innovative and desirable developments of real value.'