The Regional Winners for the Master Builder of the Year 2008 have been announced and the quality of entries has once again raised the bar.

The Awards, organised by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in association with Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd, are unique, as every entrant must be nominated by a satisfied customer. This year's entries showed that Britain's builders have continued to impress their clients across the country with their excellent work.

Despite the economic downturn, the number of high quality new build and refurbishment projects that have been completed in the past year provided inspiration for the judges of the FMB's prestigious annual search for the best builders in Britain.

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Commenting on the entries for the three refurbishment categories, Richard Diment, Director General of the FMB said: "The entries demonstrate that clients are still willing to invest in improving their properties, which is vital for the future of the domestic construction market in particular. Many of the projects also reflect an increasing concern about energy efficiency, with buildings regularly being upgraded above and beyond the requirements of the current Building Regulations.

"The FMB lobbied hard for the changes to the planning regulations, which came into force in October. These effectively remove the need for Planning Permission for many loft conversions and extensions, which should make it easier for homeowners planning to stay put and invest in their current property. This should have a positive knock-on effect for builders working in the RMI sector."

The Regional Winners will now go through to compete in the national Master Builder of the Year Awards. The winners of the national Awards will be announced by the presenter of C4 Grand Designs Trade Secrets Naomi Cleaver at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, on Thursday 13 November 2008.

(CD/JM)