Published by Yorkshire Post

Yorkshire Children’s Charity will put cash raised from The Yorkshires. Commercial Real Estate Awards 2023 towards the Great Yorkshire Build initiative to transform Special Educational Needs schools in the region.

The last year’s effort have been focused on Brooklands School in Skipton which has seen its Early Years classrooms renovated, a new sensory room created, a rebound therapy facility built, and its external bike track transformed. 

The awards were attended by around 1,000 people and held at Harrogate’s Rudding Park Hotel, with £315,000 raised. 

Winners on the night included the Leeds Valley Park forward funding deal in the Best Investment Deal category, while Sheffield Digital Campus’ letting to BT won Best Office Deal. 

The Best ‘Shed’ Deal went to G-Park Doncaster, Mammoth 602, while the Constructing Innovation scheme went to the 12 King Street development in Leeds.

Wykeland Group’s Imaginosity, a project at Mill Hill School, Northallerton, won the ESG Excellence Social Award while developer MEPC was the victor in the ESG Excellence Environmental category for its Wellington Place business district in Leeds which has recently become home to the region’s most environmentally-friendly office building. 

In ‘The Disrupters’ category, the award was shared by Wakefield’s Tileyard North scheme and URBO, which was recognised for securing £150 million of investment from Legal & General for Sheffield’s West Bar project. 

The Rising Star award went to Rebecca Housam of Savills of Savills while the lifetime achievement award went to Bruce Lightbody of Addleshaw Goddard for his work in the region’s property industry over the past 30 years. 

Lucy Sturrock, from Addleshaw Goddard who was the chair of the judging panel this year, said’ ‘We had some fantastic submissions this year with a great spread across the whole of Yorkshire, which is what the Yorkshires is here to recognise. The short list of schemes was strong and indicative of the quality of the Yorkshire Property Industry as a while. The ESG Excellence category particularly stood out, with submissions reflecting the industry’s increasing commitment towards sustainability and responsible business practice.

Charlotte Farrington, CEO, Yorkshire Children’s Charity, said: ‘The Yorkshires. Commercial Real Estate Awards is always one of our favourite events. We’re consistently amazed by the ongoing generosity and support of the Yorkshire property sector, who are a great friend to the charity. It’s only fitting that we celebrate all the wonderful things the industry achieves. The event is particularly important to us because 100 percent of the money raised on the night goes towards The Great Yorkshire Build initiative. This programme is incredibly close to our hearts and is truly unique. It brings together the property sector and third sector in a  one-of-a-kind partnership to transform Special Educational Needs and Disabilities school provisions. These schools are crying out for help, and we’ve seen first-hand how The Great Yorkshire Build can genuinely change lives.’

Shortlist and winners:

Best Investment Deal: (Sponsored by Addleshaw Goddard)

• Amazon, Mountpark Wakefield – the largest let logistics unit ever traded in the UK
• Leeds Valley Park forward funding deal
• Sale of Bridgewater Place, the largest office transaction in 2023

Best Office Deal: (Sponsored by GRAHAM)

• 12 King Street 
• Letting of 36,000 sq ft prime grade A offices to ARUP
• Record letting to BT wraps up final phase of Sheffield Digital Campus

Best ‘Shed’ Deal: (Sponsored by Caddick Group)

• G-Park Doncaster, Mammoth 602
• Panattoni Park Rotherham
• Tritax Symmetry signs B&Q at Doncaster

Constructing Innovation: (Sponsored by Savills)

• MEPC & Wates for 11& 12 Wellington Place 
• 12 King Street
• Henry Boot Construction 

ESG Excellence Social: (Sponsored by Wilton Developments)

• Imaginosity, Wykeland
• White Rose Park, Leeds
• Places for Life: Launching a sector leading 

ESG Excellence Environmental: (Sponsored by Wilton Developments)

• MEPC, Wellington Place
• OP65, Overland Park, Leeds
• G-Park Doncaster, Mammoth 602

The Disrupters:

• Tileyard North (Sponsored by Walker Morris)
• Urbo Securing £150 million of investment from Legal and General for West Bar, Sheffield (Sponsored by CEG)

Yorkshires. Rising Star: (Sponsored by DS.Emotion)

Rebecca Housam

Yorkshires. Lifetime Achievement Award: (Sponsored by Richard Boothroyd & Associates)

Bruce Lightbody