East Anglia’s largest independent housebuilder, Hopkins Homes, walked away from the Sunday Times British Homes Awards 2015 with the Development of the Year title.

The Suffolk-based housebuilder was short-listed in the Development of the Year category for schemes of more than 100 houses/apartments built in the last 12 months and fought off stiff competition to win the coveted prize.

The award was presented to Hopkins Homes for its developments at St Michael’s, Aylsham, which are known as St Michael’s Place and Bure Place.

The St Michael’s Place and Bure Place developments are set amongst the private grounds of St Michael’s, Aylsham, and saw the restoration of a Victorian listed building into a collection of two-bedroom apartments, and two, three and four, bedroom houses and two-bedroom bungalows.

Hopkins Homes had to demonstrate a positive aesthetic architectural contribution within its immediate environment and was judged on external and internal design, layout, landscaping and the provision of services and communal amenities.

James Hopkins, executive chairman of Hopkins Homes said: “We are delighted to have won the Development of the Year Award at the prestigious Sunday Times British Homes Awards 2015. As an independent house builder based in the East of England it is simply a fantastic achievement for our work to be recognised on a national platform.

“I would like to thank all of our staff and suppliers who help us to consistently deliver much-needed high quality homes throughout the East of England and have made winning this award possible.”

Hopkins Homes is the largest independent house builder in East Anglia, and is one of the largest providers of affordable housing in the region.

Hopkins Homes also creates and supports many hundreds of jobs locally and regionally, both directly and indirectly through the design and construction of the homes as well as materials supply chains and the use of local companies to provide services, ranging from carpenters and scaffolders to interior designers.