Jamie Ritblat, founder and CEO of Delancey, named ‘Personality of the Year’ at the RESI Awards 2014

Jamie Ritblat, founder and CEO of Delancey, named ‘Personality of the Year’ at the RESI Awards 2014, as Get Living London wins ‘Newcomer of the Year’ and East Village wins ‘Development of the Year’.

Jamie Ritblat, founder and CEO of Delancey has scooped the prestigious ‘Personality of the Year’ award at Property Week’s RESI Awards. Nominated by the judges, this award recognises an individual that deserves to be distinguished for their outstanding contribution to the residential market throughout their career.

Presented to Jamie at the annual ceremony at the Grosvenor, Park Lane last night (Wednesday 14th May), he commented: “This award is testament to the hard work of everyone at Delancey. It gives national recognition to the pioneering steps we are making in the private rented sector, from the delivery of the UK’s largest ever Private Rented Sector scheme at East Village – formerly the London 2012 Athletes Village, through to detailed planning for further rental homes in large scale clusters across London, beginning at Elephant and Castle.

It is particularly pleasing to see that East Village has already welcomed close to 600 residents in a very short period since opening and was recently awarded ‘Best New Place to Live’ at the London Planning Awards and the Mayor’s Award for Planning Excellence. Unlike so many other residential schemes up and down the country, we have focussed on creating quality new destinations which respond to the capitals critical need for housing, whilst also focussing on providing office accommodation for greater employment opportunities, alongside new educational, retail and recreational facilities.”

Delancey spent much of 2013 bringing the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games to life. Get Living London – awarded the RESI Awards ‘Newcomer of the Year’ last night, was established by Qatari Diar Delancey to manage lettings at East Village – awarded ‘Development of the Year’, and planning consent was achieved at Here East, the former Olympic Press and Broadcast Centre, to deliver the UKs leading creative and digital hub, with over 4,500 jobs on-site and an expected additional 2,000 jobs in the local area.

Last year, the Delancey team also achieved planning consent for 661 new homes at the Ram Brewery site in Wandsworth – since acquired by China’s Greenland Group. Plans include a 36 storey landmark tower providing 166 flats and 9,500 sq m of commercial space for new shops, cafes, bars and restaurants, at the heart of Wandsworth town centre’s regeneration.

Delancey’s work is not restricted to bricks and mortar. Jamie and the team are conscious to ensure each development has a positive impact on the environment and its local community. As well as continuing support for the Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge and becoming Principal Sponsor of British Ski and Snowboard this year, a huge number of local initiatives are supported, such as ‘Elefest’, a creative community festival in Elephant & Castle.

In 2013, Delancey also revealed a Gold Medal winning ‘East Village’ show garden at the Centenary Chelsea Flower Show. In addition to re-locating the garden to a children’s play area in East London at the end of the show, funding was provided to the charity Groundwork London to train unemployed individuals to re-locate other Chelsea Flower Show gardens to neighbourhoods across the UK.