The best deals and developments from the region's commercial property market have been recognised at Insider's North West Property Awards along with the people who made them happen. Held at Manchester Central, the sold-out event featured 15 hard-fought categories, including the coveted Property Personality of the Year title. The awards were sponsored by Ardmac, CBRE, Harworth Group plc, Hollis, Irwin Mitchell, IWG, Orbit Developments, Property Alliance Group, Russell WBHO, Schroders and Taurus Security Group. Spring & Co and Airport City Manchester sponsored the drinks reception and networking booklets respectively, while CMS was the gift sponsor and ADT Workplace was the afterparty sponsor.
Consultancy/Planning Team of the Year
Sponsored by Russell WBHO
Winner: Deloitte Real Estate
The judges deliberated at length in this category which features a strong line-up of finalists. Deloitte emerged victorious for its “specialist and tailored” consultancy expertise.
Shortlisted:
Avison Young
CBRE Planning & Development
Walker Sime
WSP
Curtins
P4 Planning
Turley
Architects Practice of the Year
Sponsored by Ardmac
Winner: Hodder + Partners
Hodder + Partners' entry demonstrated it listened, understood and engaged with its clients and the results were fabulous as well as functional.
Shortlisted:
AEW Architects
BDP
5plus Architects
Newcomer of the Year
Sponsored by IWG
Winner: Quartz Project Services
Project and building consultancy Quartz arrived on the scene in Manchester three years ago and has already grown by 20 per cent each year.
Shortlisted:
Quartz Project Services
Hana
Jolie Studio
Anderton Gables
Fit-out of the Year
Winner: The Churchill Tree at Alderley Park (Bruntwood SciTech)
The Churchill Tree is the restoration and fit-out of a Grade II listed building to create a boutique pub and restaurant at the heart of Alderley Park. The judges said that in a world which puts so much value on amenity and community, such an investment cannot not be underestimated.
Shortlisted:
Royal London at Alderley Park (Ardmac, Form Design Consultants)
Taylor Wessing at Edward Pavilion (ADT Workplace, Hollis, Kin, Barton Willmore)
Onward Homes at the Watson Building (5plus, Brown & Bancroft)
111 Piccadilly (Bruntwood Works, Workspace Design & Build)
JLL at Landmark (JLL, Overbury)
Department at Bonded Warehouse (Allied London)
Game-changer Award
Sponsored by Property Alliance Group
Winner: Ged Couser, BDP
On Sunday 29 March 2020 Ged Couser received a call that he was to lead on the conversion of Manchester Central into the UK's second NHS Nightingale Hospital. By Monday, he had mobilised and collaborated with main contractor Vinci, clinicians, consultants, contractors, Manchester Central and the British Army to meet a two-week deadline for completion.
Shortlisted:
Mark Hawthorn, Landmark Investments
Becca Heron, formerly at Wigan Council
Dave Roscoe, Manchester City Council
James Devany, JLL
Chithra Marsh, Buttress Architects
John Cooper, Deloitte Real Estate
Aisling McNulty, Bruntwood Works
Property Law Firm of the Year
Winner: Brabners
The judges were impressed with Brabners' "quick grasp of tricky situations" and highlighted the firm’s broad geographical reach and range of clients.
Shortlisted:
Addleshaw Goddard
CMS
Eversheds Sutherland
Mills & Reeve
Shoosmiths
Investment Agency Team of the Year
Sponsored by Schroders
Winner: CBRE
An incredibly tightly fought contest, the judges discussed this category at length. Its sheer scale and reach and the complex nature of its deals means CBRE takes home the title.
Shortlisted:
Carrick Real Estate
JLL
Wildbrook Commercial Real Estate
Construction Business of the Year
Sponsored by Taurus Security Group
Winner: Bowmer and Kirkland
The judges saw innovation, diversity and happy clients in Bowmer & Kirkland's entry and said B&K "always ensure a deliverable solution".
Shortlisted:
GMI Construction Group
Morgan Sindall
Vinci Construction UK
Willmott Dixon
Russell WBHO
Office Agency Team of the Year
Sponsored by Orbit Developments
Winner: JLL
In a highly competitive space, the quality of the deals done by JLL edged them forward for the win. It was a great performance in a tougher market, with its BT deal and the Circle Square pre-let "hugely significant" for Greater Manchester.
Shortlisted:
Avison Young
Canning O'Neill
Cushman & Wakefield
Edwards & Co
CBRE
Placemaking Project of the Year
Winner: Box on the Docks, MediaCityUK
Box on the Docks sees local creatives, food and drink sellers and artists take up space in sheds and greenhouses around MediaCity. The scheme enlivened the area, doing things a little differently to create a destination.
Shortlisted:
New Bailey (English Cities Fund)
Liverpool Without Walls (Liverpool City Council, Liverpool BID, Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, Arup)
Logistics North & Cutacre Country Park (Harworth Group)
Industrial Agency Team of the Year
Sponsored by Harworth Group plc
Winner: Colliers International
Colliers don't wait for deals to fall in their lap, said the judges, they forage for them. Active and visible, Colliers have completed big noteworthy deals such as the L'Oreal warehouse and HQ pre-let in Heywood.
Shortlisted:
CBRE
Avison Young
Davies Harrison
JLL
Commercial Development of the Year
Sponsored by CBRE
Winner: Rochdale Riverside (Genr8 Developments in partnership with Rochdale Council and Kajima)
In this category, scale, complexity and impact matter. The successful delivery of Rochdale Riverside was a "slam dunk" on all three fronts said the judges, who commended the developers for their "tenacity and will" to make it happen.
Shortlisted:
2 Stockport Exchange, Stockport (GMI Construction Group, Muse Developments, Stockport Council)
Brooklyn Hotel, Manchester (Marshall CDP)
Two New Bailey Square (English Cities Fund)
Icon Manchester (Stoford Developments)
125 Deansgate (Glenn Howells Architects)
100 Embankment (Ask Real Estate, Richardson, Tristan Capital Partners, Salford City Council)
Developer of the Year
Winner: Bruntwood Works
Repurposing buildings for a new lease of life was a major theme in this year's shortlist and Bruntwood Works is a clear example of how to do it well.
Shortlisted:
CERT Property
Stoford Developments
Muse Developments
Chancerygate
Property Deal of the Year
Sponsored by Hollis
Winner: JV with Starwood Capital and acquisition of Renaissance site (Property Alliance Group)
Described by the judges as a part of Manchester yet to see the regeneration experienced at Spinningfields or New Bailey, this deal represents the "missing piece of the jigsaw" for Manchester. It could see the further unlocking of other parts of the city previously disconnected from the centre.
Shortlisted:
Letting of 525 Haydock to Kellogg's (Avison Young, CBRE, DTRE, Bericote Properties)
Relocation of Deloitte to WeWork, Hanover Building (Colliers)
Wigan Galleries project (Deloitte Real Estate and Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council)
Pre-let to BT at Four New Bailey (English Cities Fund and JLL)
Helical’s sale of the Powerhouse Portfolio (CBRE, TT&G)
Sale of Manchester Airport Group's non-operational property assets to CTI Threadneedle (CMS)
Salford Crescent development agreement (English Cities Fund, Salford City Council, University of Salford)
North West Property Personality of the Year
Sponsored by Irwin Mitchell
Winner: Caroline Simpson, deputy chief executive, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Caroline Simpson has helped raise the profile of Stockport, which is undergoing a radical £1bn programme of investment. Simpson, whose role encompasses director for place, says that Stockport Council is "putting its money where its mouth is", showing confidence is in its town by underwriting the risk for developers. As a result, Stockport is now seeing private investment coming in thanks in part to Simpson's approach collaboration with the property industry.
