Yorkshire Residential Property Awards - the winners 2019

The county’s residential property stars were rewarded while raising vital cash for a children’s charity. Sharon Dale reports.A company that has invented and pioneered modular extensions and futuristic, glazed pods on top of a historic mill were among the winners at the Yorkshire Residential Property Awards 2019.The event, organised by Variety, the children’s charity, was held at Bowcliffe Hall in Bramham this week, with Gethin Jones as guest presenter. (Read our At home with Q&A with Gethin)The evening proved that the region’s property industry is rich in talent, innovation, expertise and that vital ingredient for success in challenging times - resilience.The best in the business were rewarded and the awards evening also helped Variety raise money for its vital work with disabled and disadvantaged children in Yorkshire.

All for charity build

This year over £100,000 was raised from the awards event and it will fund the Variety Big Build at Green Meadows School in Guiseley, which caters for children with special educational needs. Variety has pledged to help improve its sensory facilities and to create a new and desperately needed home economics classroom.Variety hopes that its latest bid to change the lives of disabled children for the better will echo the success of its previous fundraising project to transform Springwater School in Harrogate.The response was incredible, with firms donating both cash and physical resources. It is hoped that the Green Meadows Big Build will attract the same phenomenal support.

Sponsors

The Yorkshire Residential Property Awards2019 were organised by Variety. Lead sponsor was Womble Bond Dickinson and co-sponsors included CEG, Hampshire Trust Bank, The Yorkshire Post, Edward Architecture, DS Emotion, SCP, Slingsby Gin, Manning Stainton, Walker Morris, Pegasus Group, Riva Homes and Hungate York with support from Impulse Decisions and SLBPR.

The Winners are:

Best Innovation: Moduloft (runners-up: Sky House, CODA Studios and Kirkstall Forge, CEG) Moduloft’s factory-built loft conversions can be fit in a day and it recently expanded into modular roofs and extensions, which are in demand nationwide. The firm is a true innovator.

Best Design Project: Lister Mills Pods (runners-up, Keeper’s Cottage by Merrell O’Flaherty Dormer Architects and Longhouse by Bramhall Blenkharn Architects) Developer Urban Splash’s 30 roof top penthouses at Velvet Mill in Bradford are bold and futuristic.

The pods at Listers Mill

Best Large Agency: Linley & Simpson (runner-up- Simon Blyth estate agency) Since launching its first office in 1997, this sales and letting agency has expended to 16 branches in North and West Yorkshire. It retains its close eye on quality, innovation and service.

Nick Simpson, left, and Will Linley

Best Small Agency: Stoneacre Properties (runner-up Galley Properties) Stoneacre was founded by Ben Jacobs. After leaving school having battled with dyspraxia, he worked in estate agency and opened his own estate and letting agency at the age of 18. He now has two branches in Leeds and leads a team of 22 staff having built a good reputation.Best Large Development: Higher Raikes, Skipton, by R.N. Wooler (runners-up Calder View, Taylor Wimpey and Victoria Riverside, JM Construction) Higher Raikes is testament to this builder’s attention to detail and craftsmanship.

Higher Raikes

Best Small Development: Scala Yard by DLA Design Group (Runners-up St John’s View, Westcourt Group and Rossett Green Lane, nj-Architects/Quarters Developments) Scala Yard comprises of four townhouses and one apartment within the curtilage of York’s first cinema. It utilised modular construction and overcame the challenges of a small, difficult site.Best Residential Developer: Barratt and David Wilson Homes (Runners-up: Avant Homes, Duchy Homes and Redrow Homes) Barratt Homes is the biggest volume house builder in Yorkshire, completing 1,464 new homes in the region last year. It showed a strong commitment to sustainability, diversity and training.Best Regeneration Project for Housing: The Fruit Market, Hull, by Beal Homes (Runners-up: The Gables, Brewster Bye Architects and Victoria Riverside, JM Construction) The homes built in what was a run-down location have helped transform this part of Hull city centre into a vibrant urban village. The effect of this ongoing £80m joint venture with Wykeland builds on the City of Culture legacy.

The Fruit Market, Hull

Best Residential Consultancy Practice: Lithos Consulting (Runners-up: CODA Studios and Edward Architecture) Lithos is an independent geoenvironmental consultancy based in Wetherby. It assesses the risks hidden in the ground and offers solutions that save developers time and money.Best Strategic Land Agent/Promoter: Commercial Estates Group (Runners-up: Yorkshire Land and KeyLand Developments) The largest single supplier of housing plots into the UK housebuilding market, CEG has secured planning permission for more than 29,000 homes over the last decade. It also works to unlock finance and deliver large scale infrastructure.Deal of the Year: Strata and Linden Homes. This deal was a joint acquisition of a residential development site in Beverley. It took four years and involved the acquisition of six different land ownerships. It will deliver 900 homes, a 10 acre park-and-ride scheme and a bus link to Beverley Town Centre. The gross development value of the site is over £180m.One to Watch: Rob McNeish of Gardiner & Theobald property consultancy. Rob is a driven individual who has built strong relationships in Leeds and Manchester with a focus on apartment schemes.The Property Personality of the Year 2019 award went to Andrew Weaver of Strata Homes.The Weaver family has been in the development business since 1919 and the Doncaster-based company is now a major regional house builder.Andrew was the fourth generation to join the family firm and is now managing director. He is driving Strata Homes forward with land acquisition while keeping a close eye on design and quality.