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Michael siblings named Property Personality of the Year

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Michelle and Kerry Michael have been named Property Personalities of the Year at Insider's 2010 South West Property Awards. The pair were honoured for their achievement in seeing through the rebuilding of the Grand Pier at Weston-super-Mare in little more than two years. An audience of more than 200 peers and professionals from across the region attended the gala dinner, held at the Bristol Marriott Hotel City Centre. Between them, siblings Michelle and Kerry Michael have been the driving force behind this high-profile project for Weston. It’s a task they were forced to embark on in July 2008 when the pier’s pavilion was destroyed by fire. The award recognised the extraordinary drive and resilience they have show in the face of huge obstacles and challenges to reopen the pier: this weekend is the big day. The award was sponsored by Midas Group, while Centonex sponsored the evening's pre-dinner drinks. The dinner also raised money for the Prince’s Trust.

The winners

Industrial Development of the Year

Winner: One Portbury (London & Devonshire Trust)

The award goes to LDT for One Portbury as much for what they’ve done with it as the property itself. They acquired a well-located shed, overhauled it sensibly for today’s market and soon found an occupier on a long term lease. An excellent outcome for a brave developer.

Shortlisted: Portal West Distribution Park (Santon Group), British Ceramic Tile Factory Extension (Pearn & Proctor), Highmount Court, Mid Devon Business Park (London & Devonshire Trust)

Commercial Property Law Firm of the Year

Winner: Burges Salmon

Burges Salmon’s award stood out not just for the combined value of the deals it has worked on, but for its involvement with some high-profile partners on complex projects. It’s work included, variously, advice for the company rebuilding Weston’s Grand Pier and expert guidance on a series of sales for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, including its Oldbury site in Gloucestershire. It’s also acted for the developer St Modwen on the Firepool project at Taunton.

Shortlisted: Withy King, Michelmores

Architects Practice of the Year

Winner: Nash Partnership

Nash impressed for the transformational impact of its work, delivering some schemes that have proved hard for others to drive forward, such as its resi-dominated mixed-use project at Kingston Mills, Bradford-on-Avon. The judges also commended Stride Treglown, which ran Nash close for this award. Stride’s submission included major office and retail schemes in the region.

Shortlisted: Aedas Architects, LHC Architects, Angus Meek, Stride Treglown

Office Development of the Year

Winner: Badminton Road Council Offices, Yate (Stride Treglown/Kier Western/South Gloucestershire Council)

The Badminton Road office, designed by Stride Treglown, represents an exceptional scheme that’s highly sustainable and provides a fantastic working environment. It is part of the council’s drive to deliver better value for money because its sustainability means running costs will be much lower than the buildings it replaces. The council reckons this will save South Gloucestershire taxpayers an average of £1.3m a year for decades to come.

Shortlisted: One Castlepark (Opus Land), St Catherine’s Court (Ashfield Land), Templeback (UK & European)

Sustainable Development of the Year

Winner: Pool Innovation Centre (Aedas/Sir Robert McAlpine/public sector partners)

The judges recognised that this BREEAM ‘Excellent’ development stood out in a part of the South West with nothing else quite like it. It should help to raise the bar for future projects in terms of sustainability, having achieved its rating despite its location and accessibility counting against its sustainability credentials. That meant that in every other respect it had to deliver, it and it did that in spades.

Shortlisted: Badminton Road Council Offices in Yate (Stride Treglown/Kier Western/South Gloucestershire Council), White Rive Place, St Austell (White River Developments)

Sponsored by: Crest Nicholson

Property Deal of the Year

Winner: National Composites Centre at SPark (RDAS/BIS/ERDF and Quintain/Quantum)

This was the stand-out property deal in the South West this year. Securing the National Composites Centre as a key part of the SPark Bristol and Bath Science Park is hugely significant for the South West. The role of the public sector cannot be underestimated, with crucial input and money from the likes of the South West RDA. The University of Bristol was also a driver in bringing this project to SPark, and the West should start feeling the benefits of becoming a national centre for composites excellence just as soon as the build is completed and the centre opens.

Shortlisted: Motorola’s Trilogy Building at Kembrey Park (Loveday and Loveday for Highcross)

Sponsored by: Burges Salmon

Regeneration Project of the Year

Winner: White River Place, St Austell (White River Developments)

The judges singled out White River Place as a genuinely transformative retail-led regeneration that is already delivering for St Austell. They said the strength of its claim to be having a transformative impact on the the local economy set it apart from the other two entries.

Shortlisted: SouthGate, Bath (Multi/Aviva), Pool Innovation Centre (Aedas/Sir Robert McAlpine/public sector partners)

Sponsored by: GVA Grimley

Residential Developer of the Year

Winner: Galliford Try

Galliford Try has brands that are strong in the South West including Linden Homes, Midas Homes and Rosemullion Homes. It stood out for its imaginative use of local architecture and creative use of brownfield sites. It’s also one of only six developers working on all of the Homes and Communities Agency’s developer partner panels to deliver affordable housing, and has been highly commended by its public sector partners.

Shortlisted: Barratt Homes, Persimmon

Sponsored by: Barton Willmore

Construction Firm of the Year

Winner: Sisk

A strong submission from Sisk means it takes the honours this year. On the office side, it’s been working among other projects on Bridgewater House, the Finzels Reach office development, as well as last year completing St Catherine’s Court in Clifton. It’s also working on the resi element of Finzels Reach – 199 apartments in all.

Shortlisted: Wilmott Dixon, ISG Pearce

Sponsored by: Randstad CPE

Consultancy Firm of the Year

Winner: GVA Grimley

Three property agencies stood out from the pack this year. It’s a reminder of the range of services that agencies offer, though I expect that in future years there will be strong competition for other flavours of property consultancy running them close.

Shortlisted: King Sturge, Alder King

Sponsored by: ISG Pearce

Agency Team of the Year

Winner: King Sturge

King Sturge’s submission was commended by the judges for the range of activity demonstrated, for the volume of work undertaken on both the office and industrial side – and for the fact that it found long-term occupiers for hard-pressed landlords on several key deals.

Shortlisted: Alder King, DTZ

Sponsored by: TC Consult

 
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