‘Brilliant’ £45.8m Derby project scoops top award at prestigious regional and national awards
St James Securities, the developer of the Becketwell regeneration site, also won Developer of the Year for their work on Vaillant Live.
One of Derby’s high profile venues and one of the biggest the city has seen in a generation, has scooped a top award.
Vaillant Live, Derby’s new, state-of-the-art conference and performance venue, was nominated in five categories for this year’s East Midlands Property Dinner.
The £45.8m venue was up for Construction Project of the Year, Design Excellence Award and Sustainability Award.
The project went on to win a Special Recognition Award which has only been awarded by the judges three times in the past 25 years.
The submission noted that the building is ‘the centrepiece of a £240m once-in-a-generation city centre redevelopment scheme, transforming an area which has lain derelict for decades’.
It is hoped the performance venue will have major economic, community and cultural benefits both in the city where it is based and the wider region.
St James Securities, the developer of the Becketwell regeneration site, also won Developer of the Year for their work on Vaillant Live.
Separately, at the APSE Service Awards 2025, Derby City Council also won Best Building and Housing Initiative for the Abbey Lodge project.
This project transformed a former student village into a beacon of hope for families in need. The Council has created 46 secure, sustainable and high-quality homes, offering an alternative to costly and unstable temporary accommodation.
Phase 2 is underway and will see Abbey Lodge expand to a total of 95 flats to accommodate more families.
Councillor Nadine Peatfield is Leader of Derby City Council and Cabinet Member for City Centre, Regeneration and Strategy.
She said: “We are delighted to have won the Special Recognition Award, a rare and very prestigious honour.
“We know how brilliant Vaillant Live is and it is fantastic that it has been recognised on a bigger scale.
“This project is a perfect example of what we can achieve when working in partnership with private sector partners for the benefit of our city.
“The fact that Vaillant Live was a finalist in five other categories, including Construction Project of the Year, speaks volumes and although we didn’t win in them all, making it onto the shortlist is a fantastic achievement.
“Congratulations are also in order for our Abbey Lodge teams on their APSE win! I'm thrilled that your tireless work to transform Abbey Lodge into high-quality homes for families in need has also been recognised.
“Another brilliant example of innovative and creative work with a huge impact.”
The East Midlands Property Dinner brings together key players from across the region’s property, construction, and design sectors to recognise outstanding projects and organisations.
Several other Derby-based projects were also shortlisted in this year's awards, including the Castleward and Nightingale Quarter developments and Infinity Park Derby.
The APSE awards are designed to recognise excellence in local government frontline services across the UK.
They showcase the very best examples of service provision, new initiatives and personal commitment.