At Ascot Racecourse, a venue synonymous with winning, the cream of the Thames Valley property market gathered last night to honour its finest performers and celebrate professional excellence within this vibrant sector.
This was the third annual running of the Thames Valley Property Awards – the biggest south-east region property event outside London and one quickly established as the evening within the property profession’s calendar.
Welcoming more than 500 guests to the event, David Murray, publisher of The Business Magazine, said the popularity of the event was “a testament to the vibrancy of the local property sector – and the wealth of professional talent among the agents, developers, planners, consultants, property lawyers and dealmakers who work in the sector and operate in this region.”
Thanking the Thames Valley Property Awards sponsors – Barton Willmore, Haslams, Hicks Baker, Jansons Property, Jelf, McKay Securities, Morgan Lovell, NatWest, Pegasus Group, Peter Brett Associates, Pitmans, Romans Group, SEGRO, and Vail Williams – Murray noted Thames Valley dynamism of the past year:
Regeneration underway in key towns, major inbound business relocations, buoyant housebuilding, ‘agile’ workstyles transforming office space, and Thames Valley office enquiries in Q1 2016 at their highest-ever level.
“Quite simply, this night is a celebration of all that’s best in Thames Valley property – both commercial and residential – and a recognition of some of the key deals, developments, firms and people of the previous year.”
Matthew Battle, chairman of UK Property Forums, who chaired the judging panel, added: “The strength of the entries suggests that – despite worries over the EU referendum – the property sector is buoyant. As the economy grows, so does the amount of new speculative development in the region, and the occupier demand for quality Grade A space.”
Two new award categories were introduced on the night: Regeneration Project of the Year; and Commercial Property Consultancy – Client Service Award.
Guest presenter for the evening was commentator, TV presenter and former England cricket team captain David Gower, of which the Daily Express once wrote: ‘. . . it’s difficult to be more laid-back without being comatose.’
One certain winner on the night was the event’s charity partner, the Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service, currently building Berkshire’s first purpose-designed children’s hospice in Maidenhead. Work started last September, with home secretary Theresa May and Sir Michael Parkinson at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Table donations from guests, encouraged by a prize draw donated by Ascot Racecourse for two tickets at the Sandringham Restaurant for Royal Ascot on June 14, raised an impressive £7,742.64 for the charity.
And the winners were:
Business Park of the Year – sponsored by Peter Brett Associates
Winner: Winnersh Triangle, near Reading
Other finalists: Green Park, Reading; Chineham Park, near Basingstoke
Workplace Environment of the Year – sponsored by Morgan Lovell
Winner: Cargill at Velocity V1, Weybridge
Other finalist: ConnectTVT at GROW@Green Park, Reading
Industrial & Logistics Property Consultant of the Year – sponsored by Pegasus Group
Winner: JLL
Other finalists: Lambert Smith Hampton, Cushman & Wakefield
Commercial Property Consultancy of the Year – sponsored by SEGRO
Winner: Lambert Smith Hampton
Other finalists: JLL, Cushman & Wakefield
Town of the Year – sponsored by Barton Willmore
Winner: Bracknell
Other finalist: Reading
Housebuilder of the Year – sponsored by Pitmans LLP
Winner: Shanly Homes
Other finalists: Oakford Homes, Inland Homes
Real Estate Executives of the Year – sponsored by Jelf Insurance Brokers
Winner: The Bayer property team
Development of the Year – sponsored by Hicks Baker
Winner: Pinewood Studios
Other finalists: Bearwood Park Estate, Drayton Garden Village
Commercial Property Consultancy: Client Service – sponsored by Jansons Property
Winner: Vail Williams
Other finalists: Turley, LSH
Property Deal of the Year – sponsored by Haslams
Winner: Bath Road, Slough
Other finalists: Number 1 Forbury Place, Reading; Green Park, Reading
Fast-Rising Property Business of the Year – sponsored by Romans Group
Winner: Stubbings Property Marketing
Other finalists: Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners, Turley Planning Consultancy.
Property Law Firm of the Year – sponsored by Vail Wiliams
Winner: BrookStreet des Roches
Other finalists: Pitmans, Shoosmiths
Regeneration Project of the Year – sponsored by NatWest
Winner: Leigh Road on Slough Trading Estate
Other finalists: Bracknell town-centre; Lily’s Walk, High Wycombe
Outstanding Contribution of the Year – sponsored by McKay Securities
Winner: John Fisher, group managing director and CEO of T A Fisher and chairman of House of Fisher
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