Recognising outstanding achievements
The fifth annual Thames Valley Property Awards held in May 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, regaling the audience with banter and rugby tales between announcing the winners.
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. Our next chapter is all about transition, from capital fundraising to revenue fundraising for the direct care and support of our extraordinary children.”
Outstanding contribution
The special award for outstanding contribution to the property sector went to Blandy & Blandy partner Simon Dimmick. He was recognised for his reputation as one of the leading planning experts in the South East. Dimmick 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’.
He confessed to being “gobsmacked” at receiving the award. “It’s very humbling. I’m extremely grateful to the judges and all those who put my name forward. I had no idea. I’ve been so fortunate working with so many truly excellent people and teams over the years,” he said.
In particular, he praised the planning law team at Blandy & Blandy, led by partner Karen Jones, and supported by rising star associate Victoria Charlesson.
Dimmick’s 30-year career in property and planning includes time working for local authorities and the past 16 years at Blandy & Blandy. “As a firm, we feel passionately that what’s good for Reading and the Thames Valley is good for us. That’s why we support many local property sector initiatives and continue to act for well known clients on important projects in the region.”
Major milestones in Dimmick’s career include working with Reading Borough Council on the transformation of the area near junction 11 on the M4 with the Green Park business park. He has also been involved for the past two decades in the development of land south of the M4 owned by the University of Reading into residential areas. “It’s very satisfying to provide legal support to projects that provide homes for families and that benefit the university, which is a major employer in the area,” he said.
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – JULY/AUGUST 2018
businessmag.co.uk 49
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