The fifth annual Thames Valley Property Awards last night recognised the firms and people who stood out over the past year. Around 700 guests attended the flagship event at Ascot Racecourse.
A very strong line-up of nominations demonstrated that 2017 was another good year for the Thames Valley property sector. The awards celebrated the achievements of developers, agents, planners, consultants, lawyers and dealmakers.
The Business Magazine publisher David Murray said: “Office enquiries are said to be at record levels. The office investment book continues to grow, while industrial and logistics are at record volumes. The Thames Valley has lost none of its allure.”
The awards were sponsored by Barton Willmore, Boyes Turner, Crowe Clark Whitehill, Haslams, Hicks Baker, Leaders Romans Group, Jelf, McKay Securities, Morgan Lovell, Peter Brett Associates, Rare, Regus, Savills, and SEGRO. Other companies supporting the event were CoStar, Pegasus Group, and Jansons.
TV presenter, broadcaster and former England rugby union player Martin Bayfield hosted the lively evening with plenty of humour.
Generous support for local charity
On the night, guests donated an incredible £12,000 for Maidenhead-based charity Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service, which supports children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, and their families.
Fiona Devine said the charity was looking to the future: “I’m thrilled we have now completed building our children’s hospice, the first and only one in Berkshire. This has been quite a remarkable chapter for us. A local children’s hospice was not a reality for my son, Alexander, but it will be for the 600 children we know could benefit from our service.”
She added: “Alexander would have been 21 this year, so it’s fitting that we are on the cusp of another milestone. We will be opening the doors of our new hospice in the next few weeks and expanding our services.”
Best-ever?
Guests described the event as 'brilliant' and suggested that with 700 in the room it was the not-to-be-missed evening in the property calendar.
A very popular winner of the Outstanding Contribution award was Simon Dimmick of law firm Blandy & Blandy.
Full results
Winner: Lambert Smith Hampton
Finalists:
Winner: Lambert Smith Hampton
Finalists:
Winner: Sharps Commercial
Finalists:
Winner: JLL
Finalists:
This award is open to all property companies (including professionals, developers, contractors, and architects) and celebrates the ability to take a client’s brief and ensure it is correctly managed and serviced.
Winner: Vail Williams – working alongside Frimley Health NHS Trust on the Heathwood redevelopment at Ascot.
Finalists:
This award recognises the role the parks play in the region’s economy and celebrates the ability of the developer, owner or management team to create a sustainable environment.
Winner: Arlington Business Park, Theale – transformed by Patron Capital and APAM.
Other finalist:
This award goes to a town or city that is implementing a growth strategy, enhancing its brand and encouraging investment and re-investment.
Winner: Slough – £1 billion of regeneration is transforming Slough and making it a magnet for businesses
Finalists:
Judges look at how the design of the office workplace was approached and how it will help achieve genuine productivity gains for occupiers.
Winner: Apex Plaza, Reading – the landmark building has been reinvigorated to stake its claim as a go-to location in the town.
Finalists:
This award goes to a company managing a growing portfolio of properties.
Winner: Leaders Romans Group – 48,000 properties under management.
Finalists:
Judges were delighted that all four finalists were women – showing that there are opportunities aplenty for women in professions, which just a few years ago were seen as male domains.
Winner: Hannah Taylor-Brewin of Page Hardy Harris just 22, but as a commercial surveyor proving a wise head and a key member of the firm’s team.
Highly Commended: Sam House of Area – In just four years Sam has progressed to working on key projects for Area.
Finalists:
The aim of this award is to recognise growing stars who are making their mark in either commercial or residential sectors.
Winner: RARE – RARE increased sales by 50% and profit by 70% last year and is clearly growing significantly.
Finalists:
This award is for a law firm whose property team has enjoyed an exceptional year, either in terms of volume of work, quality of instructions, or both.
Winner: Boyes Turner – one the largest full-service property teams in the region.
Highly Commended: Herrington Carmichael – the firm is seen to be punching above its weight and achieved record fee turnover last year.
Finalists:
This particular award focus on non-residential developments either recently completed or with consent to be built in the near future.
Winner: The Lexicon, Bracknell – the long-awaited Lexicon is finally open and has made Bracknell a go-to destination.
Finalists:
This award focuses on headline deals in the past year.
Winner: Frasers Property – Frasers Property acquisition of four major Thames Valley business parks – Chineham, Watchmoor, Winnersh and Farnborough.
Finalists:
Winner: Thomas Homes – 16-40 London Road, Reading – the stylish conversion of a 19th century building by Thomas Homes.
Finalists:
Winner: Inland Homes – headquartered in Amersham, the specialist urban regeneration developer.
Finalists:
This special award is for a stand-out person who has made their mark in property and, just as importantly, has been involved with the promotion of the Thames Valley as a great place in which to do business.
And the winner is…
The winner is recognised for his reputation as one of the leading planning experts in the South East. He advises on strategy and development for several major landowner clients – and one of the renowned bibles of his profession stated he has been ‘the face of Thames Valley planning law for a very long time and one of the great and good of real estate in the region’. The award goes to Simon Dimmick of Blandy & Blandy.
Receiving his award, Dimmick thanked the judges for honouring him. He said: “We have a huge number of devoted people in the Thames Valley who all need applause. There is terrific competition in the area and we need to be proud of the fact that we have so many really excellent professionals.”
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