Leading UK urban regenerator, The Berkeley Group, has received the equivalent of a business 'knighthood' and has joined Britain's business elite after being granted a Queen's Award for Enterprise.

The Queen's Awards are the UK's most prestigious accolades for business performance. The Awards are presented in three categories: International Trade, Innovation and Sustainable Development.

The Berkeley Group, parent company to some of the UK's leading development brands including Berkeley Homes, St George and St James, was recognised in the Sustainable Development category for promoting best practice in its sector, embedding sustainability through the entire business operation and for strong leadership. The Group was also praised for creating a sustainable procurement strategy and developing futureproof plans such as its Business Ethics and Climate Change policies. The company is one of the larger businesses to be granted a Queen's Award, usually bestowed on small business entrepreneurs.

Tony Pidgley, Managing Director of The Berkeley Group plc, commented: "Sustainability is now at the heart of Berkeley. It is a fundamental part of the everyday management of our business and the developments we build, from the acquisition of land and the planning and design process through to the construction and sale of our homes.

"It is this strategy, first created back in the early 1990s, that has given us a definite competitive advantage over our peers. It has ensured that our financial strength is underpinned with a sound, long-term strategy for future growth and continual improvement. However, sustainability is an ongoing challenge so we are continuously evolving our business model to ensure long-term success."

2008 is already proving an exceptional year for The Berkeley Group. In February the company received a Sustainable Cities Award for its commitment to climate change and earlier this month won the 'WRAP award for Sustainable Construction' in the Building Awards. The company currently holds the Sustainable Housebuilder of the Year title, which it won two years running at the Sustainability Awards. In addition, the Group is currently head of the NextGeneration sustainability benchmark of Housebuilders and came top of its sector and 11th overall in the 2007 'Britain's Most Admired Companies' Management Today league table. These external endorsements and accolades are a testament of Berkeley's ongoing commitment to sustainable design, development and business operation.

Paul King, at UK Green Building Council, said: "I'm delighted that The Berkeley Group has been given the Queen's Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development. The company, an active and valued member of the UK Green Building Council, is living proof that sustainability goes hand in hand with quality, which in turn goes hand in hand with enhanced value for both customers and shareholders. Sustainability is not an 'add-on' for The Berkeley Group, it's an integral part of its business strategy, and this approach will undoubtedly serve the company well in the years to come."

Established in 1976, The Berkeley Group is a FTSE 250 company with a turnover of £918 million for the year ended 30 April 2007 and more than 900 members of staff. One of the UK's leading developers, The Group has created over 7,500 long-term jobs on ten major mixed-use schemes, has built 2,850 homes in seven of the ten most deprived Local Authorities in the South East in the last five years and has 90% of its developments within 500 metres of public transport, reducing car dependency and the carbon footprint of its schemes.

Previous winners of the 'Sustainable Development' category in The Queen's Awards for Enterprise have included The Co-operative Group and Yell.