Nottingham developer recognised for major regeneration project
A Nottingham-based development company has been crowned winner of this year’s RTPI East Midlands Planning for Excellence in Heritage and Culture Award.
Spenbeck has been recognised for the regeneration of its flagship property, The Birkin Building, in the heart of the city’s Lace Market.
Sisters Becky Valentine and Victoria Green have spent the last seven years repurposing nearly 30,000 sq ft of the Grade II listed building, developing it into sought-after creative space.
The Birkin Building regeneration project was the first to be awarded a full national grant from Historic England, via Nottingham City Council, through its Heritage Action Zone initiative.
Green, CEO at the second-generation family business, said: “We are absolutely delighted to win this award and that the judges recognised how we worked with an extensive network of stakeholders, from Historic England and Planning to joiners who learned their craft on this building over 30 years ago, to bring the building back to full economic use.”
The RTPI judges praised the building for its impact on the community and local economy, and were particularly impressed by an accompanying online archive produced by Spenbeck which tells the story of the building and its contribution to Nottingham’s history.
Valentine, COO at the company, said: “There’s a reluctance amongst some developers about regeneration as opposed to new build, with the potential for reduced profit margins and the unknowns that inevitably occur. But the impact such projects can make, such as sustaining our architectural heritage and creating interesting places for people to work should make people excited rather than reticent about the opportunities.”
Spenbeck, which has been synonymous with the Lace Market since its founder Mich Stevenson OBE spearheaded its regeneration with his late brother Don in the early 1980s, is also in the running for a gong at the 2019 Family Business Awards.
