29/04/2010 : Exemplar status awarded to all BHP estates

Brent Housing Partnership (BHP) has been awarded the "exemplar" level in the Cleaner, Safer, Greener Quality Mark by Keep Britain Tidy.

This was for the housing estates it manages on behalf of the council in South Kilburn, Harlesden, Brentfield and St Raphael's. BHP already holds the quality mark for estates in East Brent and Wembley, when it was the first housing provider in London to receive this prestigious recognition since Keep Britain Tidy officially launched the scheme in 2008.

This now means that all Brent council's housing estates managed by BHP have been awarded the highest possible status by Keep Britain Tidy.

The Keep Britain Tidy Quality Mark offers housing providers a method to drive improvements in specified neighbourhoods and also recognises their cleaner, safer, greener achievements at a national level.

The Kite Mark, the first award of its kind in the country, is an effective partnership tool for housing providers who want to lead the way in environmental issues and build better neighbourhoods for residents.

This award provides a structure to work towards providing better quality neighbourhoods. It demonstrates quality of service to stakeholders, partners and neighbourhoods, helping to build credibility and opportunities for funding support. It can also be used as a tool to promote innovation and good practice amongst peers.

It offers housing providers the opportunity to review current practices against a recognised benchmark, helping bring about improvements.

A key benefit of the Quality Mark is that it supports and strengthens tenant and resident engagement.

Linda Footer, Head of Governance and Communication said: "This is a true reflection of all the hard work we do at BHP, it also reflects the brilliant partnership working with our residents and all our key partners. I would like to thank all those who were involved in the process leading up to and taking part in the assessment."

David Cockcroft, Housing Director of Keep Britain Tidy said: "The assessors were very impressed by Brent Housing Partnership's approach to managing and improving the environment on its housing estates. The exemplar level award reflects the high standard of work undertaken by BHP, its residents, and partner organisations."