A HOUSING group with five major developments across west London has been named housing provider of the year.

The Dominion Group, formed last November through the coming together of four housing associations, including Acton HG, fended off strong competition to win the prestigious Building Magazine competition organised this year with Channel 4.

The group is already managing 10,000 affordable homes. It is now on course to create an extra 3,200 houses and flats for the social sector across London and the south of England within three years.

The five local developments currently being built by Dominion are the new scheme on the site of the old Gosai Cinema in Northfields Avenue, Ealing, which will provide 34 homes for people who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford to live in the area.

There will also be 167 affordable homes at Gypsy Corner, Acton, and 185 in the redevelopment of the old Ministry of Pensions building at Bromyard Avenue, also in Acton.

Meanwhile the recently completed White Hart development in Hayes End has produced 41 waterside apartments and a further 38 affordable homes have come on stream at Union Wharf, West Drayton.

The judges at an awards ceremony at the Hilton in Park Lane praised Dominion for its achievements and tackling the south east's housing shortage head on in their development.

Housing Association grants and other handouts have provided the group with £136m, enabling it to compete effectively with the private sector.

The judges described the winners as "smart developers". The panel commented: "A high satisfaction rate among tenants is just one indication that Dominion can hold its own against its rivals in the private sector. It well deserved this Fusion Building Systems-sponsored award."

Also shortlisted for the award open to all housing associations, social housing providers/contractors and local authorities were Higgins Construction, Keynote Housing, London & Quadrant and United House.