South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)

Awards for best practice in Sustainable Development - balancing growth with enhancing the environment and meeting the community's social needs - have been won by a firm of building contractors in Hampshire.

In the second annual Sustainable Business Awards, organised and sponsored by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), Ringwood based Dean and Dyball Construction Ltd won the Waste Minimisation Award, and was also runner up in the overall Best Large Company category, beating other 'eco-friendly' businesses from all over the South East.

According to the judging panel, Dean and Dyball was given the awards because of its strong commitment to the environment, "from recycling on site, to influencing clients and designers, to improving the whole life environmental performance of construction projects." The company, which has an annual turnover of around £150m, is widely seen as a champion of sustainability and environmental improvement in construction and civil engineering.

At the Sustainable Business Awards ceremony at Sandown Park, the Minister for e-Commerce and Competitiveness, Stephen Timms MP, presented the two awards to Dean and Dyball in front of an audience of more than 300 business and community leaders from across the South East of England.

The Minister said: "It's great to see businesses exploring how economic, environmental and social goals can support each other. Effective corporate engagement with the big social and environmental challenges we face is key to achieving the Government's aims on those fronts, and is also good for UK competitiveness. I am happy to be involved in recognising the achievements of the South East companies receiving awards today."

SEEDA Board Member with responsibility for Sustainable Development, Kit Oliver OBE DL, said: "All of the companies honoured by these awards are to be congratulated. It is clear that they recognise the value of the Sustainable Development Agenda - the integration of the economic environment, the physical environment and the social environment. I am delighted that they demonstrate a marked growth in the application of best principles, and it is clear that legislation such as the climate change levy is beginning to have an effect."

She added: "The performance of these companies ties in well with the thrust of the 2002 review of the Regional Economic Strategy which has sustainable development at its core."

SEEDA also announced its Sustainable Business Awards Competition for 2003 and encouraged guests to look to their own activities as suitable entries. For details about how to enter SEEDA's 2003 Sustainable Business Awards, please contact Tanya Mennie on +44 (0)1483 484278, email: tanyamennie@seeda.co.uk.