A £4m refurbishment project of council homes has been recognised at an industry initiative which highlights the best in property maintenance.

The 2014 London Housing Consortium Awards named the upgrade work of 682 homes in Stevenage, carried out by affordable housing contractor Wates Living Space for Stevenage Borough Council, as being the best Whole House Refurbishment project across the consortium.

Judges were impressed with the speed at which works commenced and progressed, the level of community engagement and the delivery of the project within budget. All of the properties were completed on time or ahead of schedule, which enabled additional works to be undertaken.

The project teams from Wates Living Space and Stevenage Borough Council were presented with the award during a ceremony in London.

Phil Sperring, business director of Wates Living Space, said: “We thoroughly enjoy working with Stevenage Borough Council on the delivery of property improvements to homes in the area. For this work to be recognised as the best in its category is incredibly rewarding. It was important for us to not only deliver a quality refurbishment programme but also use our presence in the borough to benefit the local community and we successfully achieved that.”

Councillor Ann Webb, executive member for housing at Stevenage Borough Council, said: “I am delighted to hear about this award, and I offer my thanks to everyone who does such a good job in improving and maintaining our council houses. Providing high quality housing is a priority for this Labour-run council but it is even more important for the people that live in these houses. Our tenants tell us that they are pleased with the work that we’ve done in their homes with Wates Living Space and I’m sure they will also feel that the award is well-deserved.”