Seven of Essex’s finest construction projects have been shortlisted for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) East of England Awards 2008. 

Altogether a record 29 entries have been shortlisted from across the East of England and will battle it out at the final on Thursday 15 May.

Now in their 18th year, the RICS awards, celebrate and recognise exemplary projects across four categories – building conservation, regeneration, sustainability and community benefit.

The seven Essex projects shortlisted are:

• Brightlingsea Marina (Colchester)
Ramboll Whitbybird has been shortlisted in the regeneration category for its Brightlingsea Marina project in Colchester.  The project saw a former boat yard on the River Colne estuary converted into a marina. The boat yard had fallen into disuse and the land was bought for housing in the 1990s.  The project has involved enlarging the site and transforming it into a fashionable development – with townhouses, apartments, local shops, cafes and open space. 

• RSPB Environment and Education Centre (Purfleet near Thurrock)
Van Heyningen and Haward Architects has submitted its new Environment and Education Centre at the RSPB’s Purfleet reserve into the regeneration and sustainability categories of the awards. The new Centre is within the Purfleet regeneration zone, a priority area for Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation and has been designed to be economical, flexible and sustainable. 

• Bishop’s Park College (Clacton-on-Sea)
Bishop’s Park College, designed by The Architects Co-Partnership, has been shortlisted in the community benefit category of this year’s awards. The project, in Clacton on Sea, is part of the Clacton PFI Schools Project, which has been designed as a ‘school within a school’.  This new flagship school provides a major community focus and was created to provide an exciting, stimulating and unusual environment. 

• Saffron Walden Library (Saffron Walden)
Barker and Associates is a finalist in the community benefit category for its refurbishment of Saffron Walden Library. The Saffron Library project involved a major programme of remodelling and refurbishment of the Grade II listed building, to create a modern and user friendly library space for the community.  The ambitious project has updated the whole of the library which will provide a fantastic new service fit for the 21st century. 

• Downham Church of England Primary School (Billericay)
Barker and Associates have also been shortlisted in the community benefit category for its refurbishment of Downham CofE Primary School. The project saw temporary classrooms on the site replaced by permanent accommodation, improving the classroom environment for pupils and staff.

• Beeleigh Abbey (Maldon)
Essex County Council is a finalist in the buildings conservation category for its Beeleigh Abbey project in Maldon. The Grade I listed house has been repaired and sympathetically up-graded to create a comfortable family home. 

• Galleries (Brentwood)
City and Country has entered its project The Galleries into the building conservation category.  The Galleries, in Brentwood, is a stunning conversion of a grade II listed former hospital.  Each home is unique and designed to incorporate the building’s original features.

David Potter, RICS East of England operations manager, said: “The RICS awards is one of the most important and prestigious international showcases for the property industry. In the East of England we will be recognising and celebrating the projects that have led the way in helping to regenerate and conserve our region over the past year.”

“This year we have received a record-breaking number of entries and as always, all have been of a very high standard. St George’s Square, Keeper’s Cottage and The Village at Butterfield have done extremely well to be amongst the finalists and I wish them all the very best of luck in the final.”

The 2008 RICS East of England regional dinner and awards are taking place at The Old Palace, Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire.  All 220 tickets for the awards have now sold out and attendees will be entertained by special guests, BBC presenter Janine Machin, who will be hosting the event, and John Spence, chairman of Harlow Renaissance, who will be delivering the after dinner speech.

The event is being kindly sponsored by ECA, English Heritage, English Partnerships, Inspire East and Ridgeons.   

All of the winners of the RICS East of England Awards 2008 will go through to the RICS Awards international final in London later this year.