Roma Publications
Volume 16 - Issue 6
NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Awards 2011
Contents PREMIER CONSTRUCTION
Volume 16 • Issue 6
Honoured for excellence - but what makes a winner? Following the announcement of the first round of winning site managers in the annual Pride in the Job Awards organised by NHBC (National House-Building Council), Premier Construction takes an in-depth look at those honoured as the pride of the housebuilding sector. Just over 400 individuals were recognised for their commitment in building high quality UK homes to meet the exacting needs of new-home buyers. The Pride in the Job (PIJ) Quality Award winners were shortlisted from over 13,000 UK managers working on sites for builders registered with NHBC. Given such intense competition - not to mention amid such challenging times, Premier Construction asks the question “What makes a winner?” and gives each triumphant site manager the opportunity to answer in his own words. Amongst this years top answers were ‘Producing a quality product on a quality site’; ‘the ability to motivate and maintain both enthusiasm and high standards’ ‘having a good team behind you’ ‘exercising vigilance and being uncompromising’ ‘simply being proud of what you do’- and of course ‘sheer hard work!’ Announcing the PIJ 2011 Quality Award winners, NHBC Chief Executive, Imtiaz Farookhi, said: “Pride in the Job has been instrumental in raising the build quality of new homes in the UK for over three decades. “By adding a competitive element to housebuilding through the recognition of exceptional site managers, Pride in the Job promotes best practice in housebuilding, thereby continually bettering the construction quality of new homes year on year for homeowners and their families. The Quality Award winning site managers now progress to regional events in the autumn, hoping to win a Seal of Excellence or Regional title. Those topping their region in one of four builder-size categories will then progress to the Supreme Awards gala final in January, hoping to be crowned as a national winner during NHBC’s 75th anniversary year. Follow Premier Construction on: Twitter: twitter.com/PCbyRoma Weblog: http://premierconstruction.wordpress.com
Managing Director: Marcus Howarth Editor:
Lesley Coward
Production Manager: Kelsie Howarth Advert Co-ordinator: Nicola Owen Contributors:
Rebecca Chamberlin Charlotte Brazier
Published by:
Roma Publications Ltd.
t: 01706 719 972 f: 0845 458 4446 e: admin@romauk.net Graphic Design by:
www.marcusmacaulay.co.uk
NHBC Pride in the Job Award introduction.................3 Barratt Homes...........................................................4 Barratt and David Wilson Homes.................................9 David Wilson Homes................................................16 AJ Stephens Ltd .....................................................17 Bett Homes ............................................................18 Persimmon Homes .................................................20 JW & J Porter..........................................................26 Shanly Homes.........................................................27 Hill Partnership......................................................29 Ben Bailey Homes...................................................34 Miller Homes..........................................................36 Bellway Homes.......................................................39 Cala Homes............................................................43 Pearlow Developments...........................................44 Taylor Wimpey........................................................45 Elan Homes............................................................50 Millwood Designer Homes Ltd................................52 Bargate Homes.......................................................56 Morris Homes.........................................................58 Mascott Construction.............................................60 Banner Homes.........................................................61 DKM Homes............................................................63 Crest Nicholson Ltd................................................64 Badger Homes........................................................65 Farrans...................................................................66
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A pride of winners take a bow The ultimate accolade honouring the UK’s top performing site managers, the 2011 Pride in the Job Quality Awards recognise an outstanding level of achievement by winners and their site teams, who are a credit to their companies nationwide. Recognised for their dedication in building high quality UK homes to meet the exacting needs of new-home buyers, the Pride in the Job (PIJ) Quality Award winners were shortlisted from over 13,000 UK managers working on sites registered with NHBC, the UK’s leading home warranty and insurance provider and standards setting body for new build homes. Competition for PIJ recognition is always intense, with just over 400 awards given this year to site managers all around the UK. Announcing the PIJ 2011 Quality Award winners, NHBC Chief Executive, Imtiaz Farookhi, said: “By adding a competitive element to house-building through the recognition of exceptional site managers, Pride in the Job promotes best practice in house-building, thereby continually bettering the construction quality of new homes, year on year, for homeowners and their families. “Winning a PIJ award at any level has become an accolade well worth having, marking the recipient out as a top performer. All the shortlisted site managers have shown true diligence and commitment to producing the best quality homes possible. I wish them all the best of luck for NHBC’s regional events in the autumn, as we continue this year’s search for the UK’s best site manager.” The only awards scheme to recognise the specific, significant contributions of site managers in new home construction, Pride in the Job has been instrumental in raising the build quality of new homes in the UK for over three decades, with NHBC registered house-builders now routinely striving for perfection in their work to ensure success. PIJ was created in 1981 by the then incumbent Chairman, Andrew Tait OBE, who died in March aged 88. Under Tait’s leadership, NHBC embarked on a historic drive to raise housing standards to protect homeowners. Now in its 31st year, NHBC inspectors began judging developments for the current PIJ campaign 12 months ago, assessing managers against 38 stringent criteria. The QA
winning site managers now progress to regional events in the autumn, hoping to win a Seal of Excellence or Regional title. Those topping their region in one of four builder-size categories will then progress to the Supreme Awards gala final in January, hoping to be crowned as a national winner during NHBC’s 75th anniversary year.
About NHBC NHBC (National House-Building Council) is the leading warranty and insurance provider and standards setter for UK housebuilding for new and newly converted homes. As a non-profit distributing company, it reinvests all income in achieving its primary purpose; improving quality in housebuilding to protect homeowners. NHBC marks its 75th anniversary in 2011, celebrating three quarters of a century of raising standards in UK house-building to protect homeowners. Started in 1936 as the National House-Builders Registration Council, NHBC has worked consistently to raise the construction standards of new homes and provide protection for new homebuyers. As the UK’s leading warranty and insurance provider for new homes, NHBC’s Buildmark warranty cover more than 80% of new homes built in the UK and currently protects approximately 1.7 million homjes. Over the past 40 years, NHBC has protected more than 30% of existing homes in the UK. There are approximately 20,000 house builders and developers on NHBC’s Register (known as registered builders or registered developers), who agree to comply with NHBC rules and standards when building new homes. NHBC employs over 1,100 staff, including 280 building inspectors across the UK, who carry out and collect data on around one million inspections at key stages of home construction each year. As well as inspectors, there are surveyors, engineers, energy assessors, health and safety, training, registration and claims staff, who all deliver NHBC’s key services to customers. Find out more about the organization and the awards at www.nhbc.co.uk ROMA PUBLICATIONS
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Pride is what it’s all about for Jamie Pride in the job is what it’s all about for award-winning site manager Jamie Thompson at the Barratt Homes Clarendon Gardens development in Bromley Cross, Bolton. “I was very proud to win after trying several times before. All the team on site were delighted too, having tried to up the game and win for the last five or six years that they have been with me - and now we have succeeded,” he said. His advice to those seeking to achieve the award is: “Don’t get downhearted and keep on trying - in the long run it will pay off. Make sure that everyone is working as a team - that is probably the most important thing.” He added that it is also important to maintain high standards at all times, so that the site is always operating at maximum efficiency. He particularly wished to thank his contracts manager Ian Livesey. “I originally worked for Ian as a joiner and he got me a job
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as a site foreman. He has won several NHBC awards and taught me a lot, so it’s nice to pay him back for all his help,” he said. Jamie grew up with many members of his site team, whom he has known since his schooldays and has been working with for 20 years. “It’s nice to have a connection like this with your team. We often see one another out and about at weekends too and this all helps to strengthen the bond,” he says. He adds that site sales are making good progress, particularly the two bedroom first time buyer houses, which have sold well over the last eight to nine months. He joined Barratt at the age of 15 straight from school, starting as an apprentice joiner, and has remained with the company ever since. Clarendon Gardens is a long awaited exclusive development in one of the most sought after areas on the outskirts of Bolton, situated next to the Last Drop Village. The development comprises a mix of luxury one and two bedroom apartments and four and five bedroom executive detached houses. Bolton is amply served with schooling, leisure activities and pursuits of every description, shopping centres and much more. Nearby Manchester City can only enhance the choice available. House types at Clarendon Gardens include the Amber - a two bedroom two storey house, entered via an entrance hall and featuring a spacious open plan living/dining area with an attractive, fully fitted kitchen. The Apartment A house type is a one bedroom apartment, including a large living room, fully fitted kitchen and family bathroom, whilst the Clar D is a two bedroom apartment featuring an entrance hall with storage, a lounge/dining area leading through to a fitted kitchen, and an en-suite to master bedroom. Founded in 1958, Barratt is Britain’s best-known housebuilder. The company has sold over 300,000 new homes around the country and is a leader in design, urban regeneration, social housing and innovation. Barratt currently sell over 15,500 new homes a year and is building on developments from Aberdeen to Plymouth, helping to meet housing demand in towns, cities and rural areas. The company builds for all kinds of buyers, from first-time buyer apartments to family townhouses to luxury penthouses and homes for rent and shared ownership. A commitment to innovation and continuous product development, coupled with the highest standards of design, construction, quality and customer service has earned Barratt every major industry award in recent years and they are currently ‘Housebuilder of the Year’ in both the prestigious What House? and Your New Home awards. Their site managers are also regular winners in the NHBC ‘Pride In The Job’ awards for quality workmanship.
Award is Sean’s “stepping stone” to higher things Young Site Manager Sean O’Regan has won his first NHBC award for the Barratt Manchester development in Hattersley, Cheshire. The site around Hare Hill Road is a busy development which is still in progress, comprising one hundred and seventy-three units, with a hundred and twenty-three left to build. Sean has had to manage the site well in order to hit tight targets whilst still maintaining a high level of quality and presentability. He is currently pushing the team to make the next fifty homes wind and watertight by mid August. Sean described it as “a great achievement” to have kept hitting the tough targets on schedule. He particularly praised the work of the ground workers and footpath contractors for forming an attractive landscape which was clearly compliant with health and safety regulations.
Award-winning veteran is a shining example of excellence Picking up his fourth consecutive quality award to add to three consecutive Seals of Excellence, is delighted veteran award winner Gavin Flannery, Site Manager at Barratt Homes’ Eccleston Park development in Chorley.
He is looking forward to celebrating with the team, and said that those higher up the company are extremely pleased with his success. “The Construction Director is made up for me,” he commented. The homes being built on the site are a range of one and two-bedroom apartments and two- to four- bedroom family homes. They are modern, spacious and very affordable, whilst the NHBC award demonstrates that the quality has not been compromised. The first phase of twenty-five homes has been released, and four are already sold. Sean joined Barratt Manchester as an apprentice joiner as soon as he left school and has been working his way up since then, working as a self-employed joiner before being promoted to Assistant Site Manager. For the last four years he has been a Site Manager, and aims to solidify his reputation by winning more awards and building the best quality developments that he can. “It would be great to keep winning awards,” he told us, “and the next step up from here would be to win an NHBC Seal of Excellence. I’ve been with Barratt Homes for fourteen years now so I’ve just got to keep building, keep progressing, and work my way up from here. I’m still only 29 so I’ve got plenty of time ahead of me.”
proudly unfurling the NHBC award flag at their site, marking their achievement and also assisting with the marketing of the development. In addition to winning so many awards, Gavin has an average site health and safety record of 99.38 per cent over 12 months and a customer care record of 95 per cent. He started in the construction industry at the age of 17 having started as an apprentice joiner in 1997. He became one of his
“Getting it right first time, consistency in maintaining good standards and having a true pride in the job is important,” he says, adding that management skills also count highly, together with the ability to get the respect of the site team by treating everyone fairly. “If you treat people with respect they will help you when you need it,” he said. He has understandably built up quite a reputation for the standard of his work within the company and his site is now often used by his firm to show their other site managers how to achieve the best results. Already having been personally congratulated by their construction director, the winning team looks forward to ROMA PUBLICATIONS
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NHBC company’s youngest site managers at the age of 21, ten years ago. “At that time it was a case of sink or swim - and fortunately I swam,” he said. The 123-home Eccleston Park development incorporates a variety of different stylish house types, including the fourbedroom detached Alderney, featuring: a lounge with French doors leading onto the garden; en suite to the master bedroom; a family bathroom and an entrance hall and cloakroom. The Ambleside two- bedroom apartment has an attractive lounge/ dining area, a quality fitted kitchen and two double bedrooms, whilst the Maidstone three bedroom detached home includes an en suite and Juliet balcony to the master bedroom, and an entrance hall and cloakroom as well as a well proportioned lounge. Eccleston Park is located in Chorley, only 3/4 of a mile from the town centre, which has a host of shops and amenities. The town has easy access to bus and rail links and it is situated only a short distance from the M6 M61 and M62. There is a wide range of activities for all ages to enjoy, including: golf courses, bowling greens, tennis courts, football and rugby pitches, skate park, and children’s play areas to name but a few. The excellent range of home styles will appeal to families and first time buyers alike.
Mark’s on a roll Winning his fourth Pride in the Job Quality award on behalf of himself, his site team and his company is Mark Burton, site manager at Barratt Homes Eden Park development in Carliol Road, Carlisle. He scooped his first award in 2006 at the company’s Oaklands View development, followed by another in 2008 at Lowry Gardens, before winning in 2009 - again at Eden Park - the same development for which he has achieved this year’s accolade.
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For the second year running, Barratt Homes is officially the highest quality major national housebuilder - indeed it has been awarded an exclusive ‘5 Star Housebuilder Award*’ by the Homebuilders Federation. “The award is the result of recommendations from customers as well as our superior build quality, so Barrat is especially proud to be the only major national housebuilder to be awarded this accreditation – two years straight. “The award is extra assurance that buyers can expect the best quality build when they choose a Barratt home.” The first Barratt company was established in 1958 in Newcastle upon Tyne and then grew steadily, establishing the roots that were to support its future growth. The company was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1968 and in 1972 a programme of rapid expansion was launched through a series of acquisitions and the creation of new companies. During the 1990s the group grew organically, establishing an unrivalled track record of consistent growth. In April 2007 Barratt acquired Wilson Bowden PLC and today has a network of 25 housebuilding divisions throughout Britain, selling new homes under the Barratt, David Wilson and Ward Homes brands. As if that wasn’t enough, he started out his winning streak as assistant site manager on a Barratt Homes development where the site manager won a coveted NHBC Seal of Excellence in 2005 - setting Mark on the path to win awards of his own. “This has been a good site for me” said a jubilant Mark, who puts his success down to attention to detail, the cleanliness of the site and ensuring a high quality build. “I like the site to be tidy and look right - which also makes things safer too” he said. “If I would be happy with something in my home, then I know it’s good enough here.” He has worked for the company for nine years and has retained the majority of the site team with him today. “Some I inherited and some I added, but they are a brilliant team. Without the team there’s no chance of winning an award. They are all over the moon with this year’s award too,” he said. He also added a big ‘thank you’ to his assistant site manager Tony Diprose, who he said has been a great asset. Mark and his team have constructed 45 homes on the site so far this year. “Sales have been good here this year, which is excellent considering the present economic climate” he said.
Mark has been in the construction industry for 30 years, since he left school at the age of 16. Having started as a plasterer, he worked his way up to becoming an assistant site manager at Barratt Homes nine years ago. He has been personally congratulated by his construction director, regional chairman and group chairman. “It’s nice to be recognised for winning the award and it’s very good for the company too” he said. Eden Park comprises a diverse mix of homes ranging from apartments, mews houses and townhouses to detached homes. Of 110 homes on the site, there are now just 14 left
to sell. “The site is well designed. It is on a slight slope and there are a number of stepped foundations and retaining walls involved in the construction - and this all helps to add character to the development” said Mark. The development is ideally located in Carlisle which has a compact and historic centre, including a castle, cathedral and semi-intact city walls. It is home to the main campuses of the University of Cumbria and a variety of museums and heritage centres. The Eden Park site is due for completion at the beginning of next year.
Success Story at Heritage Gate Hugh McKay, 43, who is Site Manager for Barratt West Scotland, has picked up an NHBC Pride in the Job award for his work on the Heritage Gate development in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire. Hugh, who has worked for the company for five years, spoke of how pleased he was with his achievement, saying: “I am delighted to have received The Pride in the Job award. It feels great to have my work at Heritage Gate recognised by the NHBC. I would to thank the whole team who have worked with me to create such a fantastic place to live.” James Watson, Managing Director of Barratt West Scotland, spoke of how pleased the company are: “The whole Barratt West team is extremely proud of Hugh and delighted that his hard work and commitment has been recognised by an NHBC Pride in the Job award, one of the most sought after accolades a site manager can receive in the new house building industry.” He was also keen to express just how confident Barratt are in their staff and products: “The quality of workmanship overseen by Hugh and our other site managers throughout the west of Scotland, combined with the excellent products and materials we use, means we are so confident in our product that we offer all purchasers a 5 year warranty as well as the 10 year NHBC Warranty. Our exclusive 5 year warranty, which gives buyers extra peace of mind, covers just about everything that we provide as standard - something no other house-builder offers.“ Founded in 1958 in Newcastle, today The Barratt Group has a network of twenty five house building divisions throughout Britain, selling around fifteen and a half thousand homes every year. The company claims to put all its energies into providing the highest standard of design, construction and customer
service in the business. It also prides itself on employing the best site managers, who regularly win in the NHBC accolades. The Heritage Gate site has proved popular with buyers - another great recognition of the quality of the development. The range of housing available comprises three and four-bedroom homes, which are described as ‘an exciting collection suitable for growing families’. Four different home styles are available, with prices ranging from £150,000 for the three-
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NHBC bed semi-detached Pitlochry to £221,000 for the Banchory. The top-range, detached Banchory features an integral garage, ensuites to bedrooms one and two, an extensive kitchen-breakfast room and a well-sized room on the first floor to be used for storage, studying or a fifth bedroom. All of the houses are finished with quality fitted kitchens, and have energy-efficient central heating and double-glazed windows.
Heritage Gate is well placed among a town community in Coatbridge, and is particularly close to the Time Capsule leisure centre – therefore offering great facilities for the family. Houses are selling well, with only a few plots still available in this popular development. The competitive pricing and the vibrant local area will no doubt continue to prove a hit with those looking to move into the town.
Sweet success for Gerry Rice at The Limes Gerry Rice has won his first NHBC award for his work on the Barratt development The Limes in Lindfield West Sussex. “It feels really good to have done it,” he told us. “It’s taken a lot of hard work.” Asked what it was that made his site stand out from the thousands that were inspected, Gerry said “I should think it’s the quality of the site, and the finish of the completed units,” adding that it was a team effort. He said that the site team had reacted really well to the news, commenting: “It’s really good for them, and the company too.” The Limes comprises one hundred and twenty family and onebedroom homes in various sizes and styles, maintaining a village atmosphere close to the historic Lindfield high street from which the development takes its name. The main road through the town is lined with lime-trees and features forty timber-framed houses dating back to the medieval period. It is an attractive setting with a country-feel and it boasts friendly pubs and a communal attitude which continues traditional celebrations on the village common. Down the lane from the historic centre, a natural spring-fed pond is home to plenty of birdlife, while Eastern Road Nature Reserve is just a little further out. The new houses are sure to attract many to this welcoming community – in particular young people and families. Styles are traditionally finished with features including timber cladding and tile work. Most of the houses and apartments are two storeys high, while the Woodcote design is a three-storey, fourbedroom terrace with dormer windows to the impressive master bedroom, which is served by its own en-suite and spacious dressing room. Barratt’s also offer an extensive range of options for interior finish to allow buyers to create their perfect home. Outside, the site incorporates wide verges and grassy areas to complement the open spaces and countryside which characterises the local area, and invites the families in the community to make the most of the outdoors. Most of the properties feature off road parking, whilst the Woodcote and the Virburnum have their own integral garages.
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Elcom Electrical Ltd carried out all of the electrical works on site from start to finish and J L O’Rourke & Sons Ltd were the carpentry contractors for the whole development. The development also backs onto open land punctuated by mature trees, creating an exclusive, friendly environment in a location that is ideal for reaching many popular towns and cities. Near the border between West and East Sussex, London is within easy distance of the development, and Brighton is just fifteen minutes away. If it is an escape to some peace and quiet that is required, the South Downs or the coast are just short drives away. Gerry is still at work on site, where there is good customer interest in the homes - several of which are already sold. Four of the larger detached houses were sold in a single week, and the Site Manager said that the encouraging sales were good for
morale, commenting: “it’s good to know. It’s quite a tight market at the end of the day.” Like many site managers Gerry has been in the industry since he left school, finding an apprenticeship as a bricklayer on a five-year college course in Scotland. He also has experience in ground work. Twelve years ago he joined Barratt’s as an Assistant Manager and since then he has worked his way up to Site Manager. Gerry has another project lined up once the Limes is complete, and will be celebrating his NHBC success with the team at the awards ceremony in September.
Barratt and david wilson
Lofty achievement for Cliff Achieving his fourth NHBC Quality Award is Barratt Homes South Wales Site Manager, Cliff Thomas, for his outstanding work on the company’s College Green development in Rhydyfelin in Pontypridd. Cliff, who won quality awards in 2000, 2001 and 2009 - the latter on Barratt’s Pennar Heights development, said: “I always treat every home on the site as if it’s my own and meets the standard that I would expect. I keep a close eye on detail and like to get it right first time, adopting a hands on approach to management, constantly trying to raise standards and get the best out of the site team using encouragement, discipline and sometimes innovative ideas and working to a firm but fair policy.” Praising the efforts of his team, he said: “This is the best team I have ever had, and include some really exceptional tradesman. He added that one of the ways he has of encouraging good work is to post photographs of good examples of work carried out by his team in his office for all to see.” In addition, to his NHBC accolade Cliff has also been voted Site Manager of the Year by his company. Having started out straight from school as a 17 year old apprentice carpenter, and subsequently becoming a foreman, Cliff then joined Barratt Homes as an assistant Site Manager and was promoted to Site Manager within 11 months. He then left to work for two other companies and later to run his own business before returning to Barratt four years ago. The College Green development is constructed on the former site of a Welsh school and includes 160 homes. Construction
commenced in November 2009 and 60 homes are occupied so far. Sales are steady and three more plots remain to be completed by September. College Green offers an excellent range of two and three bedroom terraced and semi detached homes that are ideal for young professionals, families or retired people wanting to escape from city to village life at an affordable price. With its close proximity to the A470 it has excellent transport links to Cardiff, Merthyr and the M4. Gateway to the famous South Wales Valleys, Pontypridd itself has lots to offer with its indoor market, many pubs and cafes/ eateries, all serving traditional Welsh fare with traditional Welsh hospitality. College Green also combines the best of rural and out of town living. Pontypridd holds the key to Wales’ historic and cultural past. The town is famous for its breathtaking architecture. The old buildings are decorated with fine stonework sourced from locally quarried stone. Barratt Homes is not just a housing developer; they are a company that builds homes. At every stage of the process; from designing and planning to the final finishing touches, Barratt keeps in mind the emotional and practical priorities of the people who will be living in their properties.
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Youth is no barrier for Mark As the twenty-five year old Site Manager of Bradley Park, Mark Titley’s career is off to an outstanding start as he picks up an NHBC award for his first solo project for Barratt and David Wilson Homes. Speaking to Premier Construction, Mark described the achievement as “absolutely great”, and told us “When I got the phone call telling me I’d won I could hardly believe it,” – unsurprising since it is rare to win so early on in a Site Manager’s career. At the age of eighteen Mark was certain that he wanted to go into construction, but he was also set on getting a degree: “Initially I wanted to learn a trade – I enjoy practical work – but with all my friends going off to university I didn’t want to feel like I’d fallen behind academically by going straight into a job.” Determined to push ahead, Mark found himself a five-year part-time degree course in Construction Management at Leeds Metropolitan University. He then found employment four days a week with Barratt’s as a Trainee Site Manager, spending one day a week studying at university. Mark explained how he came to be given the job of Site Manager: “This is the first site I’ve taken from conception. The recession helped me out in some ways, as at the time when sales were really slowing down, they took the actual Site Manager off the project where I was an Assistant and left me to ‘babysit’. Then when things picked up again they accelerated the building process and suddenly the site was very busy.” The experience of stepping in as effective Site Manager allowed Mark to manage a project from the very beginning and prove what he was capable of. He had no intention of aiming low: “The motivation and impression that you give on-site in the first weeks tends to be how the whole project pans out,” he said, “Whenever people come on site you have to show them high standards of health and safety and tidiness, leaving no doubt in their mind that I want to win a Pride In The Job award.” Mark’s success also stems from his organisation of the site, as he explained: “It’s important to make sure you set up the site so that the workers can help themselves and get on with
it. It is also important to delegate, so that I can concentrate on running the site. I want to be constantly identifying how each individual could be doing their job better. You also need to make sure everyone feels responsible for the work they’re producing.” Mark hopes that the team appreciate how working with such focus has helped to raise their game and that working on an award-winning site has reflected well on them. He is pleased that his core on-site team has supported him and are delighted to have won the award. The development at Bradley Park is a mixture of housing in traditional styles designed to complement the market town. Ranging from two to five- bedrooms, the homes each have spacious gardens and are built with family living in mind. Work continues on the site and, with the houses proving popular, David Wilson Homes have accelerated the project, setting a target completion date of June 2012 for the whole housing development.
Another well-deserved award for Andy Briddock Senior Site Manager Andy Briddock has won his eighth Pride In The Job award for producing yet another outstanding quality development, The Oaks, for David Wilson Homes. During his career as Senior Site Manager, he has also won four coveted NHBC Seals of Excellence, as well as numerous in-house regional and external accolades - including the Considerate Constructor award for his previous site. Andy told Premier Construction that it felt “fantastic” to have won this award, adding: “I look as happy right now as I do on the eightfoot photograph of me they’ve put up outside the sales centre!” The Oaks is situated in Whitwood, Castleford, Leeds and features a range of one and two-bedroom apartments and three to four- bedroom family houses. All are designed to utilise the space available to maximum effect: the rooms are very well proportioned and provide generous storage provision, and most of the units include en-suites and integral garages. As the NHBC award shows, all aspects are finished to the highest standard.
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Andy said that it was “dedication to getting the job right first time” that had resulted in the success at the awards. His experienced site team, some of whom he has worked with for twenty years, also share this view - as demonstrated by the fact that Andy has won all of his previous awards with the same core team. “You get the nucleus of your team together and then you add to it by bringing new people in who gel with the nucleus.” He explained one way in which he aimed to nurture his team: “I’m a big believer in giving back to people what you learn, too. Knowledge and experience is for sharing. When I was younger, people took me to one side and taught me:I like to be able to do that for people now.” He said that Barratts are very supportive in fostering the team work ethic, as they organise social events on a regular basis in order to encourage teams to bond. Andy started out in the trade as an apprentice bricklayer, before being promoted to Assistant Site Manager with McCleans (who later became Wimpeys). He then moved to David Wilson, and worked his way up to become a Senior Site Manager in 2003. When asked whether the site had presented any particular challenges, Andy said that there are some units of social housing on the site, which meant that there was a different team and specification had to be worked with. However, he noted that overall the whole process had still run very smoothly. With only four units left to be completed, many of the houses at The Oaks are already occupied. This presents new challenges in terms of keeping the site clean and tidy and managing deliveries without designated storage areas. However, for Andy, seeing people move into the houses brings great satisfaction. “There’s nothing better than to know that you’ve taken a piece of paper with drawings done by somebody who’s never even seen the piece of land, and used it to build the perfect place for people to live,” he enthused. “It’s great to see people are moving in and they love it - there are children playing everywhere. It makes you think to yourself: ‘I’ve built this’.” He explained how beneficial it was for the industry for people
to be able to watch closely as houses were being built. “You see these programmes on TV about cowboy builders and they give us all a bad name,” he said. “But this way people can see the hard graft that goes into building their homes and they can appreciate that it’s truly a man-made thing, not like something that just comes out of a factory.” The strong sales at The Oaks reflect how attractive the development is, and Andy is hoping that the success will continue when this first phase is completed in September. Following that, he will be moving straight onto a further development on adjacent land which will comprise one hundred and eighty houses. Here he will continue to nurture and inspire the next generation of tradesmen. ROMA PUBLICATIONS
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Teamwork Is A Winner For Richard Proudly scooping his first NHBC award, David Wilson Homes site manager Richard Cadman is “absolutely elated” with his success, which he puts down to having the right team and being able to motivate them to win. “I set my heart on winning the award and it certainly wasn’t easy - the team are also really pleased and winning the award has meant a lot to them too. In today’s competitive housing market you need something to make you stand out from the crowd and this award certainly helps” he added. He is particularly appreciative of the help of his contracts manager Wayne Morris, without whose guidance he says he could not have won the award. Richard, who started his career as a joiner, has been in the building trade since leaving school many years ago and comes
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from a family who has been involved in the construction industry, including his father who was a construction director when Richard first started work. His fiancée also works for David Wilson Homes a sales negotiator. “I was lucky that I could take advantage of the chances I got in my career and worked hard and made the best of them” said Richard. And still on the subject of awards, for the second year running, David Wilson Homes is officially the highest quality major national housebuilder, having been awarded an exclusive ‘5 Star Housebuilder Award’ by the Homebuilders Federation. The award is the result of recommendations from customers as well as the company’s superior build quality, so they are especially proud to be the only major national housebuilder to be awarded this accreditation two years running. With its stunning house types and sought-after area, Serenity @ Lakeside offers something for everyone. The location and amenities in the area are second to none, with the Lakeside shopping centre and Doncaster Dome, the UK’s largest leisure, sporting and event centre right on the doorstep.
The site includes an impressive range of 250 properties, including luxury apartments and three- four- and five-bedroom houses, all overlooking a lake in an exclusive area of Doncaster. Currently the site is one of the company’s best-selling developments in the Yorkshire area. David Wilson Homes is dedicated to creating the highestquality homes to be lived in and loved. At every stage of the process, from designing new communities to fitting their luxurious carpets, the company has a picture of the family that will call their state-of-the-art houses, ‘home’. It is this focus on excellence and family that has been at the root of David Wilson Homes’ success for over 40 years. The company is based in a small village in Leicester and today is recognised as one of the country’s leading house builders, operating in 13 regions across England, Scotland and Wales. In 2007 David Wilson Homes became part of the Barratt Developments group – a natural merging of two companies dedicated to providing the highest standard of design, construction and customer service in the business. Barratt was established in 1958 in Newcastle and has enjoyed an unrivalled track record of consistent growth ever since. In recent years, Barratt has won every major industry award going. The company has sold over 300,000 new homes around the country and are leaders in design, urban regeneration, social
Winner celebrates at 15th attempt Project manager Ross Whitehouse can be forgiven for sporting a broad smile after achieving a NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Award
housing and innovation. Barratt currently sell over 15,500 new homes a year and are building on developments from Aberdeen to Plymouth, helping to meet housing demand in towns, cities and rural areas. The company builds for all kinds of buyers, from first-time buyer apartments to family townhouses to luxury penthouses, plus homes for rent and shared ownership. one has bought into what we wanted to achieve on site. So it’s very much deserved.” He has also been congratulated by the company’s chief executive and managing director. Ross began his career as an apprentice bricklayer before becoming an assistant manager at the age of 20 and was site manager by the age of 22 – the youngest in the company he previous worked for, before linking up with Barratt and David Wilson Homes (Mercia) about a year ago. The Victoria Place development has also been well received
For it was the first time the Barratt and David Wilson Homes (Mercia) site manager had scooped the award after 15 years of trying – and, ironically, it was the first site project he had overseen after switching companies! The award-winning project in question was Victoria Place on the former Victoria Hospital site in the heart of Lichfield, Staffordshire. With history permeating the medieval streets together with the towering spires of the cathedral, Lichfield provides a stunning backdrop for the development. With a mixture of two bedroom apartments and three, four and five bedroom homes the development is located within easy commuter access to direct main line links to Birmingham and London and major roads including A38, A5 and M6. Ross said: “It is a great feeling to have won after 15 years of effort. All the more sweet that we achieved it with such a fantastic team on a great project which mixes detached units with three-storey town houses and all in a good location. “The award is recognition for all the hard work that we have put in as from day one there has been a great team ethos and every
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by the public with many of the homes being sold already. The site is expected to be completed shortly. Lichfield is one of the top sought after locations to live in the West Midlands, often referred to as Staffordshire’s premier heritage city – passionate about its history and its future. For the second year running, David Wilson Homes is officially the highest quality major national house builder, having
Pride throughout at Mandale Park As the Site Manager on the Barratt and David Wilson Homes site Mandale Park, Graeme Simpson has won an NHBC award for the brilliant quality, housing in Thornaby, Stockton-On-Tees. The site has won an impressive range of awards in the last two years with Graeme as Site Manager, including two Pride In the Job Awards and third best Barratt Homes site in the UK. According to Graeme, first impressions are crucial to success: “As you enter the compound we’ve got nice flower beds. Then you can see the attractive street-scene with block-paved driveways and lawns.” He was clearly pleased with the way that his team had maintained this quality, saying “a site manager is only as good as his crew”. The site includes a wide range of two to four-bedroom housing in a roomy, green layout. Many houses feature integral garages, and en-suites and dressing rooms in the master bedrooms. There are also several plots featuring affordable housing built for a housing association. Graeme stressed that the concern for good building work throughout the entire development. “We deliver Pride In The Job quality to private buyers and to the housing association,” he said. The site won a silver Considerate Constructers award. Currently all of the social housing units are occupied. Graeme praised the expertise of June Thompson, salesperson, who Graeme described as “part and parcel of the team”. He told us that June has done a “grand job” selling the homes and offering helpful suggestions for improvements. Speaking of the whole site team, Graeme said that they were very pleased to have won the award, and explained that they all got on very well. Barratt’s support team socialising and are funding celebrations for its winning teams. Graeme started out in the industry with a small ground works company, but became disillusioned with a site that he was working on and instead went to work in a computer factory. John Styles, a Site Manager for McCleans (later Wimpey’s) asked Graeme to come back to work for him as a storeman, but trained him up. He has been with Barratts for four years, first as a Trainee Manager and then on Mandale park as Site Manager. Later this year funding is expected to come through for further housing association developments, meaning another phase of
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been awarded an exclusive ‘5 Star House builder Award’ by the Homebuilders Federation. The award is the result of recommendations from customers as well as its superior build quality and is the only major national house builder to be awarded this accreditation two years straight. David Wilson Homes are dedicated to creating the highestquality homes to be lived in and loved. At every stage of the process, from designing new communities to fitting luxurious carpets David Wilson Homes have a picture of the family that will call their state-of-the-art houses, ‘home’. It is this focus on excellence and family that has been at the root of the company’s success for over 40 years. David Wilson Homes began in a small village in Leicester and today are recognised as one of the country’s leading house builders, operating in 13 regions across England, Scotland and Wales. In 2007 David Wilson Homes became part of the Barratt Developments group – a natural merging of two companies dedicated to providing the highest standard of design, construction and customer service in the business. Barratt was established in 1958 in Newcastle and has enjoyed an unrivalled track record of consistent growth ever since. In recent years, Barratt has won every major industry award going. HA and private homes should begin at Mandale Park. Graeme will undoubtedly be putting all his energy into achieving just as highly when he returns to the site.
Adrian is a winner with attitude
“Having the right attitude, commitment, putting the time in and striving for and maintaining quality,” is the way Adrian Irwin, Site Manager at David Wilson Homes’ Riverside Crescent development, in Blaydon-on-Tyne, overlooking the River Tyne, won his first NHBC Quality Award.
“I was ecstatic when I heard that I had won. It’s something that every site manager strives for and shows that all the hard work has paid off,” he said. “I have an excellent team on site - they have all contributed 100 per cent - after all, this is something that you just can’t do by yourself. The win is good for the team too - it looks good on their CVs and they all get a certificate to say they have worked on an award-winning site” he said. Congratulations from his company flooded in following the win - including a letter of congratulation and a phone call from the managing director, as well as letters from the chairman and regional director. Adrian started his career in engineering before moving into the construction industry around 10 years ago. He began as a finishing foreman, then progressed to assistant site manager and site manager. He started with his present company in March last year. “I just liked the idea of running a site,” he said. Construction of the development is progressing well - as are sales, with several homes sold in July and the remaining available properties attracting considerable buyer interest. Riverside Crescent, which mainly comprises large fourbedroom detached houses, is now becoming well established as an excellent community for professionals and families alike. The location, overlooking the River Tyne, provides beautiful riverside walkways as well as a short commute to Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead. There is a good range of local amenities and schools in Blaydon itself, including a swimming
pool and food and retail shopping facilities. The development features an impressive range of three, four and five-bedroom homes. House types include the Lambert five-bedroom detached home, designed for family living at its finest and featuring a large sitting room and kitchen/family/dining room; the Embleton - a four double bedroom detached family home with an integrated garage and a large sitting room with a bay window (that gives the space a light, airy feel), and the four- bedroom Cuskin detached house with plenty of space for the modern family: it features an open plan kitchen/ family/dining area with impressive walk-in bay window and French doors to the garden. The Hudspith is a stylish three-storey townhouse boasting plenty of space and with a kitchen/family/dining room with French windows leading straight out into the garden.
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david wilson
Top site team adds award-winning X-factor for Mike A particularly good site team taking pride in their work was what gave the edge to site manager Mike James, winning his first NHBC Quality award for his work at David Wilson Homes’ prestigious Fairways development of luxury homes. “I think the site team must have been what made the difference in impressing the judges - I have been following the same procedures on site for the last 26 years” said Mike, adding “Perhaps it is the quality of the homes too.” “The team are over the moon with the award and we have all been congratulated by the managing director.” One of the most challenging elements of the project has been working on the extremely tight site overlooking a golf course and avoiding causing inconvenience to neighbouring properties. Mike, 55, has been in the construction industry since he was 17, starting as a carpenter and becoming a site manager at 27, having come up through the ranks fairly quickly. Currently the last four homes on the site are being constructed and the project is on track to be completed by the end of August 2011. Fairways comprises 10 luxury five bedroom houses on the edge of Camberley Heath Golf Club in the highly sought after area of Camberley. These properties fulfil every possible definition of
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luxury - from the quality of the materials, the standard of finish and the expansive space provided. With a number of the exclusive homes offering superb views across the third hole of Camberley Heath Golf Course, this one-off development is set to become one of the area’s most desirable addresses. With attention to detail and layouts optimised for modern living and entertainment, the spacious, light and airy ground floors include open plan kitchen/breakfast room, drawing room and separate dining room. The kitchens have been specially commissioned and some feature a range cooker. The substantial drawing room has a feature fireplace and many properties have double or triple aspect windows to maximise light and views. The bi-fold glass doors from the drawing room and the breakfast room are another stylish feature of these properties, extending the living area out into the garden. Glevum Design & Build are the Installers of windows, doors and conservatories on this development. The ground floor also benefits from under floor eating throughout. The upper storey incorporates two solid, structurallyengineered floors minimising noise, together with five bedroom, bathrooms and ensuites. Some of the properties also include a dressing room from the master bedroom.
A J S T E PH E N S LT D
Alan wins recognition in Scotland A Site Manager at Perth-based housebuilders A&J Stephen Limited has been nominated for a NHBC Quality Award, one of only three nominations for the North of Scotland. Alan Robertson, 48, hopes to further his success by securing a Seal of Excellence Award at the presentation dinner at Glasgow Hilton Hotel in October. Alan, who has notched up 32 years with the company, served his apprenticeship as a carpenter and joiner and progressed to working as a sub-contractor before taking on his current role as Site Manager in 2005. Congratulating Alan, Ron Sutherland, Construction Manager, said: “On behalf of the company, I would like to warmly congratulate Alan on this national recognition for his achievements on our Balgarvie development in Scone, Perthshire. Alan’s experience and attention to detail, together with his rapport with the team, has been recognised over time by the NHBC Inspector. Clearly, these qualities and the abilities
of his team make him a worthy recipient of the quality award. Alan’s success underlines both his own talent and the A&J Stephen policy to grow and develop individuals to managerial levels from within.” A modest Alan added, “It’s a special thrill to win a Quality Award but the achievement has undoubtedly been a team effort and it is a credit to the entire site team.” The Balgarvie development has proved to be a winner with buyers over recent years due to the consistently high quality finish of its homes and its prime location. The site comprises a mixed housing development, ranging from two-bedroom bungalows to five-bedroom family houses. The homes are constructed with a traditional wooden frame and finished in a
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NHBC combination of rendering, brick and stone-work. The collection of 250 homes is now in Phase 6, with A&J Stephen commencing works on site in 2001. Alan was presented with his Quality Award by John Mack, NHBC Inspection Manager on the Balgarvie development in July. A and J Stephen are a family building firm established in 1935. They use their experience to train their staff to the highest standard and to give the homes they build the most outstanding finish, by combining classic craftsman techniques with innovative new design. They have produced developments throughout Scotland, all of them placed in stunning locations. The development in Scone is no exception: it is well served by transport links to the ‘leisure capital’ of Scotland, Perth, and Scone’s magnificent attractions are close by. Rich in history,
the village of Scone grew around the Augustinian Scone Abbey, which was founded in the 1100s and was frequently a host for the King of Scotland. The original medieval village can still be distinguished in the existing village. In the 1800s the local nobility began to build a new palace, designed by William Atkinson, and this is one feature in the superb backdrop to Balgarvie. A and J Stephen also recently unveiled plans for eight new apartment homes in Pitlochry to add to their beautiful portfolio. These two-bedroom properties will be within walking distance of the town centre, an attractive spot for those seeking to downsize or buy a holiday home in the area. In keeping with A and J Stephen’s commitment to quality, the exterior facing will be even more desirable than the location - the homes will be built in keeping with local style and finished with slate roofs, wet-dash render and timber cladding.
BETT HOMES
Chris makes it a hat trick Picking up his third successive Pride in the Job award for his work on one site, is Chris Forster, site manager at Saxon Park, Fairbairn Road, Peterlee - a development by Bett Homes, part of the Gladedale Group.
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Winning he says is a matter of “Building a good team of tradesman, being well organised and maintaining high standards of quality, including being on site all the time, motivating the team and making sure that everyone has all the information they need to do a good job.” “All the team are very pleased - especially those who have been with me for the last three years in which we have won an award at this site. It really is a team effort.” said Chris, adding that the managing director visited the site specially, to personally congratulate everyone.
Chris has been involved in the construction industry for 24 years since he left school. After starting as a bricklayer, he subsequently decided to attend college to study for an HNC and HND in building studies, setting him on the path to becoming a site manager. He has been with Bett Homes for six years. “We were all delighted that all of our hard work was rewarded yet again” he said. The development is making good progress, attracting buyer interest and is due for completion in July 2012. Saxon Park is a distinctive development of 100 properties including new-build and refurbished homes including two and three bedroom mews, two and three bedroom semi-detached, and three and four bedroom detached properties. Each home offers the very latest in stylish living in Peterlee - a major centre of employment, with industrial estates and business facilities throughout the town. Peterlee is a popular residential town with a good range of amenities and leisure facilities in and around the town. The town centre accommodates an array of high street shops and independent stores, along with a range of supermarkets. For outdoor pursuits and days out, there is much to see and do in the surrounding area, with a variety of cultural and leisure attractions. Gladedale Homes realise that many homebuilders make similar claims of reliability, but in this company’s case, the evidence is in the quality of their homes and the longevity of their companies. Gladedale Homes have been a major force in the UK new homes sector for many years and, in 2009, successfully revived the residential division of three much-loved brand names; Bett Homes in Scotland and the North East, Ben Bailey Homes in Yorkshire and the Midlands, and Country & Metropolitan Homes in the South East. Across Scotland, Manor Kingdom is a sought-after brand for luxury homes, with a reputation for superior style, both inside and out. Uniting all companies is a deep-rooted commitment to quality.
Each and every home shares the Gladedale Group’s trademark of quality workmanship, commitment to design and attention to detail - characteristics upon which Gladedale built their enviable reputation. The company is also passionate about conservation, and work closely with the guardians of Britain’s history, including the Tree Preservation Council, English Heritage, the Environmental Agency and many other historical and archaeological societies. Gladedale Homes use the best of existing, natural landscapes to create beautiful backdrops, while internally the careful use of natural materials creates a feeling of space and comfort. The very highest specifications can be expected as standard, from first class built-in appliances, to integral sound systems and smart home-management technology in larger properties.
GSM Survey
GSM is a surveying and mapping company working with several major contractors across the north of England, We enjoy a very good working relationship with Bett homes and have worked with them on several projects including Saxon Park.
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NHBC Pe r s i m m o n H o m e s
“It gets better every year” for Mark Thomas Mark Thomas picks up his third NHBC award for his work on the Persimmon Homes development, Rosemary Court, in the small village of Elm Park outside Haverford West. The Site Manager told Premier Construction: “It’s been a long year leading up to the award, but I’m absolutely made up to have got it. It feels even better than the first time I won because I aim to make improvements every time and the more you put in the better it feels.” He was full of praise for his committed site team, who he said are very pleased to have won the award, commenting that “it’s something to show for everyone.” He was very happy to report that he would be working with almost all of the Rosemary Court team on the next project he had lined up, and described the work that they had produced so far as “some of the best I’ve ever seen.” Rosemary Court is a relatively small development, consisting of twenty-three three-bedroom houses that have been carefully constructed to complement the village of Elm Park. They are attractive semi-detached and terraced houses, with a finish that Mark described as ‘exceptional’. He also explained that because all of the houses are based on the same model, the site has a pleasing uniformity.
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Mark was also very pleased by the reception that local residents had given the development. “They were a bit dubious at first,” he said, “because the parish isn’t really used to big housing developers carrying out projects like this.” A local community council made it very clear to the team that they expected nothing but the highest quality out of the build, before the work had been started. Since the first homes were completed, the same council has written a letter commending the work, and Mark said that receiving their approval was “most satisfactory” - as much an award as the NHBC accolade. So far there are still about half a dozen houses left to complete, though most of the plots completed are already spoken for and lived in. Work on the remaining homes is progressing at a good rate.
Mark was talked out of his ambition of becoming a school teacher by his fiancée (now wife) and instead entered the construction trade. Whilst at school and taking A-levels he dabbled in part-time labouring work, before completing an HND in building Studies .He then headed to university to gain a BA in Project Management whilst working for a Quantity surveyor. He said that he moved from project management to site management out of a desire to get out of the office environment and take a more hands-on role amongst the men building the houses that he was used to pricing up. “I sometimes wish I was that school teacher,” Mark laughs, explaining that it had been stressful driving himself to get the NHBC award. “But I’ll definitely up the ante next year and I hope to get another award. It’s like an addiction really: you always see things that you can improve for next time and you want to be able to make those changes.”
Celebration time for Richard and his team It was celebration time for Persimmon Homes Site Manager Richard Lillie and his team after they took the Pride in the Job Quality Award honours for their work at the company’s The Cloisters development at Bridlington. Offering style, sophistication and a stunning location nestling close to the historic old town, this small select development of one and two bedroom apartments offers a high quality build with an impressive internal specification.
Located in East Yorkshire, Bridlington has two award-winning beautiful sandy beaches and a clean, sparkling sea with lots of entertainment for all the family. Persimmon is one of the UK’s leading house builders. Founded in 1972 by Life President, Duncan Davidson, the company builds around 16,700 homes a year on more than 500 sites nationwide, with their operations co-ordinated from their headquarters in York. The group comprise of a North, South and Central Division with
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NHBC a total of 36 regional offices building from Scotland, through the North and Midlands, down to the South and South West of England and South Wales. Persimmon specialises in offering a wide choice of beautifully designed homes in prime locations throughout the UK. Whether it is a studio apartment or an executive family home, Persimmon
has a reputation for building properties of the highest quality. This means that they offer the widest choice of quality new homes in the greatest number of quality places throughout the UK - as well as aiming to provide the highest levels of design, construction and service.
“A great accolade” for Terry Proudly achieving his third Quality Award is Persimmon Homes Thames Valley Region’s Terry Robbens, senior site manager at Heartwood Gardens, Wheathampstead, who describes the award as “A great accolade.” “Dedication, attention to detail - and working long hours!” helped to win the award for Terry, who also prides himself on being able to manage people. “At the end of the day it’s not just my work - it’s a team effort,” said Terry, adding “This is the first award that Persimmon Homes Thames Valley region has ever won.” Personal congratulations from his construction director marked the appreciation of the company. Terry, who has been with the company since 2004, started his career as a site labourer in the mid 1990s, before rising through the ranks. Currently, sales at the development are going very well. The distinctive traditional detached two bedroom coach houses and three and four bedroom family houses offer an excellent internal specification and private parking in Wheathampstead one of Hertfordshire’s most attractive and sought after villages. NLA Services Ltd was responsible for the supply and installation of the street lighting columns on the site.
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Each property on the development features the specification and quality for which Charles Church is renowned. There is also a unique coach house design for those seeking something a little different. The 67 homes on the development are being built in a range of
NHBC elevational treatments, which have been sympathetically styled to blend harmoniously with the surrounding area. Kitchens come in a choice of units with laminate worktops, a stainless steel gas hob, an oven and chimney hood, an integrated dishwasher and ceramic tiling. Bathrooms have white sanitaryware with chrome fittings and a choice of ceramic wall tiling, whilst all properties have gas fired central heating, a mains operated smoke detector, a steel faced front door and fencing to the rear garden. Such is the popularity of Heartwood Gardens that over 100 eager house hunters visited the development on the first day of the launch and three properties were sold immediately. Located on the edge of the village of Wheathampsted, Heartwood Gardens is within reach of Green Belt countryside yet is an easily commutable distance to St Albans, which offers fast rail connections into London. Wheathampstead is a large village situated north of St Albans; it is considered to be part of the surrounding villages of Harpenden. Wheathampstead has a vibrant local community and the high street houses everything you would expect from a village as well as beauty parlours, restaurants and bespoke jewellery design. With a number of conservation areas and architecture dating back to past centuries, the village has a traditional atmosphere which is enjoyed by all age groups. A number of quaint old whitewashed buildings are now home to village shops and restaurants and a farmers’ market is held each month within the village.
Mercia kit out Heartwood Gardens Mercia Garden Products Ltd offer a vast array of garden storage units, summerhouses, playhouses and fencing, boasting that with their bespoke manufacturing service they will find the solution to suit every customer’s budget and requirements. Tailor made facilities are provided in consultation with the client and Mercia offer such services as optional bike-stand fittings. The Nottinghamshire-based company manufactures all of their products at their own premises, on a thirteen-acre site. They employ 120 specialists who deliver top-quality goods with excellent customer service to clients across the UK. Recently they have launched a new division, MGP Logistics, to provide professional delivery services for the garden industry, allowing them to see each garden project through from start to finish in one smooth process. This new service will also allow Mercia to efficiently meet the
Triumphant Ray is on the road to excellence again Winning his second NHBC Pride in the Job Quality award - to add to his first Quality Award won last year, followed by no less than a Seal of Excellence for his work at the same site - is Ray Winney, site manager at Persimmon Homes Lark Rise development in Ullswater, Carlton Colville, Lowestoft. Winning the award, he says was a matter of: “Lots of hard work by myself and my team, and everyone having real pride in the job.” Man management is another important factor in winning, he says. “It is necessary to motivate all the trades on site to do a really good job. The site team is really delighted at winning recognition for all our hard work and for me personally, it’s brilliant.” The company’s MD has also added his congratulation with a personal letter of thanks. Ray has been a site manager for five years, rising from assistant manager, prior to which he undertook construction studies at college.
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codes for sustainable homes, which has been a particular, innovative focus for the firm over the last year. Thriving despite the tough nature of the market, Mercia now manufactures a range of sheds which meet codes three to six for sustainable homes. Mercia are recognised by the FSC in a mark of their commitment to responsible forestry, as well as being accredited by various organisations for their quality and health and safety standards. Lark Rise comprises a superb selection of 97 properties in a variety of styles and sizes to appeal to buyers with a wide range of budgets, tastes and requirements. Stylish apartments offer a great deal to young people buying homes on their own, or investors looking for an ideal rental property. Brilliantly designed two and three bedroom houses with flexible space are perfect for families and people downsizing from larger properties in Carlton Colville and surrounding Lowestoft, whilst detached houses with three and four bedrooms offer something for buyers looking for a touch more space and luxury. Built on an excellent site, these beautiful homes are located in the delightful south of Lowestoft. They’re ideally situated close to the Norfolk Broads and Lowestoft’s award winning sandy beaches. The town centre of Lowestoft is just a short drive away, with a whole host of options for shopping and entertainment. Carlton Colville has a range of shops and a supermarket, chemist and doctor’s surgery. Regular bus services run to the centre of Lowestoft, which provides a wider range of shops, department stores, a cinema and a theatre. Regular train services from Oulton Broad to Ipswich and Norwich link with Intercity services to London.
String of success continues for David Crisp Adding to his extensive collection of NHBC awards, David has claimed the third NHBC for his work on Meadow Walk in Pontyclun, Glamorgan, bringing his impressive total to eight. David said that he tries to improve his work year on year, saying: “The standard of competition is higher - it’s a lot harder to win an award now - so you’ve got to up your game.” Asked how he managed to keep achieving so highly, he said “You’ve got to keep on top of things, get a good quality of workmanship out of people by monitoring their work at all times, and making sure that the traders and their supervisors know exactly what we expect.” He pointed out that it was especially important to have a good eye for attention to detail when employing traders who worked on lots of different sites, as other sites may have different expectations. However David is careful in his selection of subcontractors, and put his success partly down to working repeatedly with the same traders, who he knows will give him their best work. “We’ve had some good boys this time,” he said of the Meadow Walk team. David’s interest in the construction industry was really sparked in his final year at school. At the age of fifteen he chose to take a qualification which covered training in various aspects of building work, rather than sticking to conventional O-Levels, and followed this up with an apprenticeship in carpentry with Persimmon. Apart from spending several years as a selfemployed worker specialising in loft conversions, David has stuck with Persimmon, consistently illustrating his expertise and working steadily up the ranks as a result. Meadow Walk consists of three blocks of apartments, several three-bedroom semi-detached and terrace houses, and four and five-bedroom family homes. All of the housing plots come with roomy gardens while the apartment blocks are provided
Wayne’s four star performance It was same again for Wayne Berry as he picked up a fourth consecutive NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Award. The Persimmon Homes site manager won his first award in 2008 and has notched up one every year since, including this year for a £7.4m Kings Park West housing scheme involving the construction of 49 homes in West Heath, a suburb of Birmingham. Wayne, who has been in the construction field since the age of 18, said: “I think the success of achieving the award is having a happy team, a team that you can trust and having the right tradespeople around you to get a quality job done, on time and on budget. “We are delighted with the recognition that the NHBC inspectors have given us and I think they appreciated the quality and consistency of the workmanship of the project. “It is a great accolade for the people on the job and obviously put smiles on their faces as they can now move forward in going on to other jobs knowing they have this award on their CV. It is a moment for us all to be proud.”
with adequate parking facilities. Pontyclun is a very popular, semi-rural location which is well connected with transport links and overlooks a nature reserve. The development claims to be creating a complete community, and no doubt the high standard of craftsmanship on show as well as the desirable setting will attract a varied demographic profile. The building work is still in progress, although it is heading towards completion. David told us that most properties were finished but there were still seven houses to be built from scratch. The quality of the housing has been noted by customers as well as official inspectors, and many of the apartments are already spoken for. David commented that it was good to know that the properties were being sold while building work continued, spurring the workers on to produce more impeccably finished work.
The scheme is being built on a 3.4 acre Brownfield development, land formerly owned by West Heath Hospital. The ‘Kings Park West’ scheme will feature a mix of two, three and four bedroom traditional semi detached and detached houses, including an element of affordable housing to enable local people to continue to remain close to their roots, with three bedroom properties on the first release. Persimmon is one of the UK’s leading house builders and builds around 16,700 homes a year on more than 500 sites nationwide, with headquarters in York. The group comprise of a North, South and Central Division with a total of 36 regional offices building from Scotland, Through the North and Midlands, down to the South and South West of England and South Wales.
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NHBC J W & J Po r t e r
Jim’s no stranger to success Pride in the Job Award-winning site manager and company manager, Mr Jim Porter of JW Porter is no stranger to success in the NHBC honours: he adds this year’s accolade to a previous Seal of Excellence won in 2006. Jim won this year’s award for managing the company’s Breton Hall development in Lisburn. “I had a good team on site who have been working with the company for 15 - 20 years. We don’t hire people on the basis of price - good quality workmanship is the criteria and we have people working for us who have grown up with the company and understand the standard of workmanship that we expect and the fact that we don’t cut corners” said Jim. “The team all think that winning the award is great and reflects well on the whole company” he added. Jim, started out as an apprentice electrician, subsequently setting up his own plumbing, heating and electrical company. Later he Joined his brother Mr Bill Porter (the company MD) in establishing the JW Porter family business 25 years ago. The firm started out by building house extensions before progressing to full scale developments. Situated close to the city centre, the Breton Hall development features a collection of traditional homes, designed and built by JW Porter.
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With their clever design and exceptional craftsmanship, this collection of Georgian-inspired traditional homes retains the best of both worlds; the style and atmosphere of a historic home and the use of modern building methods and materials, creating a sense of quality which others can only aspire to. Located within easy commuting distance of Belfast and surrounding towns via the excellent road and rail networks
nearby, Breton Hall can be found on the New North Lisburn Feeder Road, now known as Boomers Way and is within easy travelling distance of both airports and the motorway networks. The Breton Hall concept is inspired by the classic Georgian village theme, with a variety of townhouses, detached, semis and apartments. Scenic landscape areas will further add to the character of the overall development and many homes face onto green squares, creating an ambience that will be unique to this scheme. Apartments, townhouses and semi-detached homes are completed with full kitchen fittings, sanitary ware and fireplace. As Northern Ireland’s second largest urban centre, the city of Lisburn is one of the province’s most thriving cities. Well known for its excellent range of shops, restaurants, parks, gardens and museums, Lisburn also is home to a range of leading schools and sports clubs. Steeped in history and nestled on the banks of the River Lagan, it is superbly placed for commuting into Belfast and neighbouring towns. In spite of being located only a few miles away from Belfast, the city enjoys the luxury of being surrounded by farmland and contains some of the province’s finest sports and schooling facilities. Currently the 135-home Breton Hall site is doing well, with five homes just handed over in one day.
Shanly Homes
Gavin shows how it’s done
Showing how it’s done is Gavin Baker, award-winning site manager at Shanly Homes’ Knights Mead development in Chertsey. He puts his achievement down to “Having a good product, not too over- technical with quite an efficient and effective design; good phasing of construction; efficient co-ordination of men and materials; having good tradesmen on site and setting and achieving high standards through educating the workforce as to what is expected of them.” “Shanly Homes were very pleased with the award, which is a good reflection of the quality of the build in a development which is selling extremely well, with new residents moving in and a considerable number of house reservations. The award is not only a personal accolade; it reflects well on the whole company”
“Nowadays the market is tougher and purchasers are looking for a high standard. Both myself and the company like to set high standards and there is no reason why we can’t achieve them” he said. Gavin who is 48 started in the construction industry at the age of 21 having completed his HNC/HND in construction studies before starting as a management trainee and subsequently progressing to site manager. He has worked with Shanly Homes for over 10 years. “Things have gone well, culminating in winning the Pride in the Job Award. It would be good to win a Seal of Excellence and we’re over the first hurdle, but winning the current award is a great achievement in itself” he said. The development includes a stylish collection of thirty-two three and four bedroom houses, with thoughtful consideration to the attractive elevations and well planned accommodation over two or three floors, designed for the needs of modern living. Kitchens include quality contemporary units with composite stone work surfaces, matching upstands and a range of appliances, including: Siemens stainless steel oven; combi oven (microwave); four ring gas hob and extractor hood; integrated fridge/freezer, dishwasher; washer/dryer and ceramic tiled floor.
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NHBC Bathrooms include contemporary white sanitary ware; full height ceramic tiled walls to en suite shower cubicles and ceramic tiled floors. All homes have gas fired central heating with energy efficient A-rated boiler, mains smoke detectors and a solar panel to assist water heating. The development is now in its final phase with 14 homes yet to be completed. Overall completion is due in November 2011. Chertsey has a good selection of independent retailers as well as a number of high street names including a large Sainsbury’s and also a farmers market every Saturday. In addition, there are excellent shopping facilities in nearby Staines. The area also boasts a good selection of pubs, bars and restaurants catering for most tastes. Chertsey railway station is situated within easy reach, providing services to London Waterloo with a journey time of under one hour. Shanly Homes is a well established property development company with a commitment to product excellence and innovative architectural design. They specialise in small to medium size developments in desirable locations in the south east and understand the importance of sustainable development. They have committed to deliver sustainable features, above the minimum requirements of the government, on all their developments. The Shanly Homes culture is that of challenge, creativity and flexibility which encourages the development of a commercially sound and attractive product. Reflecting these attributes, Shanly Homes can justly pride itself on its high levels of quality and consistency of service at all times. Shanly Homes has two divisions: the Beaconsfield Region based in Buckinghamshire, and the Leatherhead Region based in Surrey. Their areas of operation go in and around the M25, the Thames Valley and Greater London, reaching out to Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Essex, Middlesex, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, Hampshire and Kent.
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Hill Par tnership
Cain’s pride at NHBC ‘first’ Juggling a challenging multi-million pound construction scheme with 225 homes being built all at once has resulted in a first for site manager Cain Peters. Cain, who works for Hill Partnerships, has not only just scooped his first NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Award, but he also anticipates the early completion at his Lascar Works site, in Hounslo - nearly six months ahead of schedule. Cain, who has spent 15 years in project and site management since giving up his career in bricklaying, said: “I am a 24/7 construction man who just loves the job he’s doing, always have done and always will do. “And to get the recognition, not only for myself but for the team on this particular project, is absolutely fantastic given the many challenges we have encountered so far. Despite these challenges, we are still looking to be six months ahead of schedule.” The £30.1 million Lascar Works project, which is being built by Hill Partnerships on behalf A2Dominion, involves 188 flats and 37 houses. With only one access and exit point, it required critical planning from Cain to ensure that construction of all the homes could start at once, rather than a traditional phased plan. Cain said: “I love the work I do, I am conscientious at what I do, and just want to get the best out of people. I would never ask anyone to do something that I wouldn’t do myself.
“My ethos is that there is no letter ‘I’ in the word team. This is why we have such a dedicated crew on site who are totally committed to the goal of delivering exacting standards for the client. They will stick it out to the finish every time.” This is reflected in the way that they are rising to the challenges
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NHBC of the former factory site, which will see a mix of homes for affordable rent, shared ownership and outright sale. Commercial premises will also form part of the scheme. There will be 92 homes for affordable rent, ranging from onebed apartments to four-bed houses. The shared ownership aspect of the scheme includes one and two-bed apartments, along with two three-bed houses. There will be houses and apartments for outright sale, and one and two-bed apartments for intermediate rent. Architects Hamiltons and CHBC are also involved with the planning and construction phases respectively. Coinford Ltd carried out all of the ground works and R.C. Frames on this project, Conquest Brickwork Ltd undertook all the bricklaying on site. And Acacia Gardens & Horticulture did all of the landscaping and Play Equipment at Lascar Works.
Ryan and his team “deliver the best” A site manager’s drive and determination to deliver the best results with a committed team has seen him scoop his first NHBC Pride in the Job award. Ryan Harris, a site manager for Hill Partnerships, won the recognition of fellow construction experts with the ongoing development of a 202-housing project at Faroe Close, Maldive Road, in Basingstoke.
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The demolition and construction of 202 new homes to the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3 for Sentinel Housing Association - north Hampshire’s biggest not-for-profit landlord – is being achieved with (as Ryan puts it) :“a great team who strive to deliver the best the profession can give.” Ryan said: “Everyone on the team is delighted to have been recognised with such a fantastic award and it further illustrates
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our ethos, which is to have great pride in delivering a perfect product and doing the job that we do. “I believe that winning the award highlights the importance of one particular thing that I stand by, and that is being able to provide the right environment for contractors to come in, do their work and finish off 100 per cent, before introducing another element of the work. “I have seen a lot of clients pushing to get work done, but not allowing contractors to do their jobs, and you suddenly lose control: people lose their pride in getting the job done and everything that goes with it.” He added: “That’s why it is essential that what we are doing here is underpinned with those elements, particularly considering the size of the project - otherwise you could quickly lose control of the whole site. “So having excellent contractors and good leadership certainly helps. We operate on a basis of trust: the only way to complete the scheme on budget, on track and to the highest standard, is to work together. “The team is really delighted with the award and to be personally recognised by someone else in the industry is wonderful. It also helps to earn respect around you, particularly from your peers. To be honest, it is better than a pay rise. “It also enables you to personally measure yourself against others in the industry. But I am hungry for it and just want to press on and strive for even better standards, because ultimately the customer, client and contractor all win out.” For Ryan it is his first award, but he can draw on 11 years experience in various management roles. He started out at the age of 17 on a management training course within the construction industry; since then he has been an agent, assistant site manager, site manager and now senior site manager. Ryan has also taken on a trainee site manager from a local college to begin training and to help on site. He said: “It is yet
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another example of us trying to put something back into the local community.” This development is Hill Partnerships’ fifth regeneration project and it is working together with CHBC Architects - with whom they have previously worked on a similar scheme at Bishops Green in Newbury - in addition to Sentinel Housing Association. The Faroe Road development, worth £21.8 million, commenced in January 2010. A four stage programme has been planned. This involves 18 houses and flats in timber frame constructed by January this year, and a second phase which involves the construction of 55 units due for completion this summer. Stage 3 will see the construction of 43 timber frame houses and 86 flats with basement car parking; this is due for completion in January 2012. The final phase, being the construction of 35 units - houses and flats in timber frame - is scheduled for completion in August 2012 On the current project, one block is being constructed using concrete frame, lightweight steel infills and bolt on balconies on the fifth floor. The remainder of the houses and flats are being constructed in timber frame. Coinford Ltd carried out all of the groundworks and R.C Frames on this project. Bat housing will also be incorporated within the roofs of the timber frame structures. Various materials are being used in the development, including: brick, render, rain screen cladding, zinc cladding, glazed balustrade, tiled roofs, single ply roofs and aluminium fascias. Gas savers are being incorporated into the majority of the units, and this has aided in both the removal of PV across the project and the inclusion of Enhanced Construction Details whilst still achieving Code 3. The site is in close proximity to a major junction and neighbouring businesses. Coordination of deliveries and traffic management will be essential for minimising disruption for this project and is high on Hill Partnerships’ agenda.
There are two primary schools nearby, therefore school visits and talks are being given to explain the work and the dangers of construction sites to pupils. Regular updates are being provided throughout the duration of the project to these schools and also to Everest Community College and The Vyne Community School (11-16 year olds) and 1st Popley Scouts and Guides. One particular challenge for Ryan and his team has been the need to discourage nesting birds during the demolition phase in which likely openings were covered with netting. In addition, a noise and vibration monitoring strategy was simplified and negotiated for agreement with the local authority’s environmental officer within a short time frame. Close liaison and communication in relation to the programme, along with the requirements of the various service providers, has been integral to ensuring the efficient coordination of services. The Hill group of companies, through Hill Partnerships, is one of the leading names delivering affordable homes in the UK: it creates communities, whilst embracing modern and sustainable methods of construction. Its reputation is built on close working relationships with housing association and public sector clients. They create added value through an innovative approach to product and process, project management and an efficient supply chain partnering. Hill delivers a turnover of more than £100 million and has a wide range of projects, including: new build, estate regeneration projects, refurbishment/decent homes schemes, and residential-led projects with integrated facilities, such as: community buildings, learning and educational resources, commercial spaces and medical and health facilities. It employs over 200 staff in Waltham Abbey, Bicester, Cambridge and Norwich, with projects in East Anglia, London, the South East, west London and the Midlands.
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NHBC Ben Bailey
Sparkling start to the Summer for Dave Mills Site Manager Dave Mills has led his team to success, winning an NHBC Pride in the Job Award for the Summervale development in Rotherham. It is yet another addition to an impressive record: in his thirty-eight year career in the construction industry, David Mills has won nine NHBC awards and has worked on many award-winning sites in other capacities. He started out as an apprentice bricklayer, but soon climbed through the ranks to Assistant Manager, Site Manager, and then other roles, before returning to that of Site Manager in the last couple of years. But the pride in winning has certainly not decreased simply because of the number of awards he has collected. Dave Mills commented that ‘every time is like the first’. The win on Summervale is one which especially reflects on the dedication of Mr Mills, who commented that he believed it was a mixture of seriously hard work by himself and the team, good management, high targets and high-quality finished housing that won the award. Listening to Dave discuss his work, his enthusiasm and commitment to producing nothing but exceptional standards is very apparent. This attitude has been proven to translate into practise where
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Summervale is concerned: Dave Mills took over as Site Manager six months before winning the award, when it was in a poor state and very unlikely to be completed to the standard that he subsequently achieved. However, Dave, as the new Site Manager turned the project around through sheer dedication and by bringing a completely new team on board. He reported that the team were very pleased to have their work recognised, and said that there were plans to hold a site party soon to celebrate. There will also be celebration at the official awards ceremony. Summervale is a development comprising a mixture of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes available in eleven different styles. The company says that they have designed the houses to meet the needs of the modern-day family.
Part of the Gladedale Group, Ben Bailey is the developer behind the build and aims to offer unique service to buyers. It offers the opportunity for customers to design the interior of their new home out of a wide range of options from floors to ceilings, and certain Summervale residences have the option of bespoke garden design service. Details like these are the icing on the cake, but no doubt it is the hard graft of Ben Bailey Yorkshire’s site teams which result in the high-quality housing which achieves high levels in customer satisfaction surveys. In a 2010 poll by In-house Research and Training, 99.5% of customers said that they would recommend Ben Bailey. In recent years the South Yorkshire division of Ben Bailey has won four NHBC awards, two brought home by Dave Mills, who knows that this extra assurance of quality is truly valued by customers. So far the finished houses in Summervale are selling well, although there are still four years of work to go to complete the estate.
Paul ‘over the moon’ at his first NHBC win Site Manager Paul Coates said that he was ‘over the moon’ at winning his first NHBC award, for the Ben Bailey Cedar Park development near Pontefract, Yorkshire. “I couldn’t believe it,” he said modestly, clearly thrilled to have received such an accolade. He revealed that he was very pleased with how the project had run: “It ran pretty smoothly believe it or not: we built fifty five dwellings in twelve months.” He put the achievement down to having a clear focus from the very start, which allowed him to lead his team - whom he also reported to be delighted at the win - directly to success. He said: “I had the same team on site from start to finish, so they
knew from the start what level of quality I wanted out of them. We had that quality straight from day one.” He also enjoyed celebrating the ability of his team to rise to the challenge, telling us: ‘We would have had a party on site but the work on site is completely finished now so I took them out for a drink.” The development contains fifty-five units in a mixture of two and three-bedroom semidetached and terrace houses along Featherstone lane, priced from £110,000. It is in a very desirable location, with views of the open countryside and the golf course in the distance. It is also very well-connected in terms of road and rail links into Pontefract and Leeds, and is therefore an ideal development for commuters. This, when combined with the quality of work by Paul and his team, means that the all the
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dwellings are already sold and lived in. The £134,950 three-bedroom terrace home features an open plan living/dining room and a generous kitchen, along with three bedrooms and family bathroom. The houses also come with a ten-year NHBC warranty. Paul Coates has been in the construction industry for thirty-one years, with only a short spell in other work, since leaving school in his teens. He initially started out as an apprentice bricklayer, however he commented that he soon got bored of it, and thought
that the groundwork his friends were training in looked like the job he really wanted. He switched, and was subsequently a groundworker for twelve years. When the eighties proved tough on the construction industry, Paul temporarily had to find work elsewhere, but soon got back into the industry as Assistant and then Site Manager for Ben Bailey, the company he has been with for his whole career. Looking towards the future, Paul is hoping to continue his success by winning more recognition from the NHBC.
Miller Homes
Growing collection for Ian Cole Winning an NHBC Pride in the Job award for his management of the site at Miller’s Gate in Quedgeley, Ian is happy to have that “good feeling” again. This is the third award that Ian has won as a Site Manager for Miller Homes, and this time he considers it to be a particularly outstanding achievement. Miller’s Gate is part of a large development scheme which is predicted to see ten thousand homes built in the Kingsway neighbourhood in the next ten years. “I know all of the site managers on the surrounding projects,” Ian said. “They all manage a good site. The inspectors’ marking is always very tight, so I’m particularly pleased to have been recognised above the other Site Managers on Kingsway.” Ian identified Miller Homes’ thoughtful street designs as one aspect that made Miller’s Gate stand out from the close competition, adding: “The site is very well designed and the presentation and quality of the houses is what it’s all about in winning these awards.” Miller’s Gate comprises a mixture of three, four and fivebedroom semi and detached family homes. Spacious design is a theme that runs throughout the build, and landscaping and house styles are created to complement the local area. The Kingsway development project is built with a 16th century manor farm at its centre, while nearby Quedgeley dates back to the 13th century, and sits in a largely rural region. Phil Morgan, Regional Production Director for Miller Homes, said: “We pride ourselves on the quality of the homes that we produce for our purchasers and awards like this are the icing on the cake for our Site Managers and their teams. As a company we achieved 26 Pride in the job awards across the country which showed an increase for the 4th year in a row. A very good result all round.” Ian, along with the other award-winning Miller Site Managers, looks forward to the NHBC Regional dinners in the autumn, when it is hoped that further success in the competition will be achieved.
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Ian has his mind set on continuing to produce the same standard of housing that won him the award this year, saying, “I’d like to think that come next year when the NHBC start marking again that this site is still in the running, as I intend it to be again in 2012. It will mean more hard work, but producing quality homes for our purchasers does bring its rewards.”
Jim Martin raises the roof The Miller Homes Site Manager for the Regents Park development in Crossgates, Fife, has been commended for the work produced by Jim Martin and his team. Jim said it was a really good feeling to have won his second NHBC award, telling Premier Construction that the competition becomes tougher each year: “Once you’ve won a Pride In The Job award you’ve got to show the improvement to get your second,” he explained. “You’ve got to add that bit more detail.” In particular, Jim said that the team have tried to raise the standard of roofing within the housing development. “It’s something the NHBC have particularly honed in on recently in Scotland and England. They’ve had a lot of people making claims, so it was something that we especially tried to focus on.” The on-site team have done him proud this time. “I’ve had the same team for the last year and a half. It has seemed a lot harder this year, but we’ve produced that bit more detail that won us our second award.” It certainly hasn’t been an easy project, requiring expert management on Jim’s part and a team who are right behind him. Stepping on from the original plan of building three, four and five- bedroom homes on the site, the team is now working on three individual sites on the development; they have taken on work from another contractor so are now also building one and two-bedroom homes. Taking over unfinished work has also involved re-grouting the units which had already been built over a twelve-week period. “It’s been tough trying to keep on top of everything, managing that process as well as your original programme. It’s been a
hard year, put it that way!” They are delaying partying on the site until they get their NHBC flag, but Jim assured us that there will certainly be celebrations then. Currently they are working on twenty-eight units, and Jim expects to be working on the site for another year and a half to complete a further forty units. Already there are customers moving into the existing housing, which presents further challenges: “You’ve got to make sure that the clients living there are happy with operations on-site. It should be like we’re not even there, it’s so clean and tidy,” Jim said. Having got into the industry at the age of fifteen through his father’s building firm and working his way up the ranks through different companies, Jim hopes that he can keep raising his game and will no doubt prove a tough competitor in the awards next year.
Simon’s a winner yet again NHBC award-winning veteran Simon Ryan has picked up yet another Quality award for his work as site manager at Miller Homes’ H2010 development - which adds to his previous Quality Award wins in 2005, 2006 and 2009 - plus a prestigious Seal of Excellence accolade in 2005. “We were delighted with the win. We thought we were in the running for it because the quality on site is pretty good and we were already familiar with the targets we needed to achieve” said Simon. The most important factor in winning an award, he says is having a good team.. “We were fortunate to win an award in 2009 and I have been able to bring the same team from that site here. ” he said, adding “health and safety on site is also paramount. We all come to work to earn money, but we all want
to go home safely.” Simon has been in the construction industry for many years, first working in a joiners shop and then as a joiner on site, before progressing to site manager. He has been with Miller Homes for nine years. H2010 at Yarn Street, Hunslet, Leeds will conprise 281 properties, including two, three and four bedroom mews/terrace, apartments and semi detached properties. The first phase of 61 properties was completed last year and construction of phase two, which includes 59 properties, is currently underway. Phase one is almost sold out, with just five properties remaining and at least 14 forward sales on the books for Phase 2. From Phase 2 onwards, all the homes will be served by a combined heat and power plant to provide hot water. Properties on the development include the Ford four-bedroom ROMA PUBLICATIONS
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NHBC mews/terrace. With elegant french doors creating an airy, spacious feel to the living room, the Ford offers comfortable family accommodation, and features some great use of space. Three comfortable rooms on the second floor make great bedrooms or even a home office, whilst the luxurious master bedroom on the top floor features a walk-in dressing suite. The ground floor utility room keeps all household chores out of the way. All-in-all, this is a very flexible and family friendly home. A three bedroom semi detached house, the Race is a great family home. The ground floor utility room ensures household chores are kept out of sight. There is a convenient understairs cupboard. A spacious first floor living room with Juliet balcony creates a great living area, whilst the second floor accommodation comprises comfortable bedrooms, one of which could be a study/home office. An integral garage also provides a useful place for storage. The Bluewater FF two bedroom apartment offers comfortable open plan living space, whilst the two storey penthouse design offer stylish and impressive accommodation, including large terraces. Well proportioned communal areas help create a sense of security and foster a sense of community. Nearby Leeds provides all the facilities for a work-life balance, with easy access to major transport links and international destinations, Leeds’ rich culture and heritage, coupled with a friendly, warm approach, make it a target destination for companies and individuals alike. This year, Miller Homes, is celebrating success as 26 of its site managers in were granted Quality Awards in the NHBC Pride in the Job Awards. Site managers were recognised in the first round of the NHBC’s annual awards campaign, which celebrates the fantastic work carried out by site managers across the country. 26 Miller Homes site managers from across the UK won Quality Awards, the highest number the company has achieved to date. This is the fourth consecutive increase of Quality Award Winners for Miller Homes. The first round of the NHBC Pride in
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the Job Awards sees 400 site managers acknowledged for their services to quality and excellence in house building. Chris Endsor, operations director for Miller Homes, said: “I am absolutely thrilled to see that our site managers have been so successful in this year’s Pride in the Job Awards. We pride ourselves on the quality of our homes and without such fantastic site managers, we wouldn’t be able to deliver such high quality products for our customers. “This is the 4th year in a row that we have consistently improved on the previous year’s results, which is a real credit to all those who will be presented with a Quality Award, and recognition of all the hard work that is carried out by our teams across the country to continually raise our standards.” The Quality Award winning site managers now go through to the next round of the competition, where just 130 of the 400 recognised will win Seal of Excellence awards. Miller Homes is the largest privately-owned housebuilder in operation in the UK today and part of the UK’s largest privatelyowned, property development and construction business – The Miller Group. Since 1935 Miller Homes has built nearly 100,000 homes in the UK and now have eight operating regions – Scotland East, Scotland West, North East, North West, Yorkshire, East Midlands, West Midlands and Southern. The company continue to go from strength to strength. In fact, for the last two years running, readers of First Time Buyer Magazine have voted Miller Homes Private Housebuilder of the Year. Miller Homes are also proud of their customer satisfaction scores. Four times a year, independent researchers ask the company’s customers if they would recommend Miller Homes to a friend and the overwhelming answer is ‘yes’.
Bellway Homes
Determination pays off for Mark
After years of dedication to building first class homes, Mark Gordon is thrilled to be bringing home the prize that he’s worked so hard for: the NHBC Award. He told Premier Construction that “Winning the award has been my biggest achievement to date. At times it’s been challenging, but I found it allowed me to showcase all of my skills at the highest level.” Site Manager Mark won the award for his work on the large housing development for Bellway Homes in Myreside Street, Carntyne. Mark said that the site had posed some new and interesting challenges as the construction work involved some specialist building techniques which are now rarely used, as well as brand new requirements to ensure that the houses met varying needs, necessitating installation of wet rooms, and hoists. When asked what he thought had made this particular project stand out to the NHBC inspectors, Mark’s response showed his personal commitment to the job and his eagerness to driving the team forward to produce the best possible quality. He said: “I brought lots of different subcontractors on board and had to get them to get together, a bit like bringing together the different members of a new football team. It required really good management, and I had meetings with lots of the workers to get their feedback and encourage them to push their work just that bit further, and I suggested some new ideas.” Perfect Finishing Solutions completed all of the stonework on this project. The team were described as “delighted” with the win, and Mark was explained how pleased he was with them, saying “They really got on board, starting to push each other and suggest new ideas. They began to talk about how good it was to work on
the site and how tidy and organised it was. It was great to see them come to work each day from different companies ready to get to work on our houses and use their craftsmanship, to the highest standard” He gave particular mention to his personal team, commending Assistant Manager John Watson, Forklift Driver Sandy Buchannan and Site Labourer Paul McGlone for their input throughout. While it is clear that Mark is very keen to see the personal development of his team, he also bears the customer in mind at every stage of the build, and has worked as Customer Care
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NHBC Manager for a short time with Henry Boot & Bellway. “I enjoy the satisfaction of building new homes, where people can build a family history. Houses aren’t just bricks and mortar: they are childhood memories, where generations will grow up.” Mark Gordon has been in the construction industry for twentyfive years, starting out as a plasterer and then working his way up the ranks at Henry Boot Homes, then moving as an Assistant Manager with Cala Homes, before coming to work with Bellway in 2004 as a Site Manager. Since then he has been hungry for an NHBC award, but said “we’ve just been pipped to the post each time before”, which made this year’s success all the sweeter.
Michael’s on top of the world Achieving his second NHBC Pride in the Job Quality accolade, which he describes as “the pinnacle” of his career, is Michael Keely, site manager at Bellway Homes’ Wynyard Woods development in Teeside. He puts his success down to “Maintaining a very high standard at all stages of construction - from start in the ground to completion. NHBC inspections can take place at any stage, so it is important to maintain quality in order to be put forward for an award,” he said. “Good health and safety standards are also important, along with good quality compound facilities for site operatives and a good tidy site.” “I have an excellent team working with me and we will be celebrating with a party after the NHBC awards ceremony,” said Michael, who has been congratulated by directors and the chief executive of his company. He started his career in 1973 after leaving school to become an apprentice joiner. He then worked for Sunderland Council Housing Maintenance Department, before becoming a site manager at the age of 30. He has been with Bellway for just over a year, after joining the company last May. The development comprises high specification high quality four, five and six bedroom properties and has been on site in phases for the last 16 years. The homes are set within the exclusive community of Wynyard Woods, once the seat of aristocracy and graced by visiting royals. The Wynyard Estate and its hall has been described as ‘the most splendid 19th century mansion house in the country’ and is now a unique village set in 5,000 acres of original parkland and woodland. One element of the development, Kensington Mansions, is an inspirational collection of 22 magnificent four and five bedroom homes. Each house is defined by space and high specification to provide a slice of country house living in a modern luxury home, within a quintessential village setting which includes a local pub; shops and hairdressers; a cricket club and summer fetes. All of the properties boast an impressive luxury specification - for example the Bridgewater, Dorchester, Portchester and Winchester house types all feature luxury fitted kitchens complete with a range cooker, an American style fridge/freezer, a microwave and a wine cooler. All of these properties also include steel front and rear doors; fully automatic garage doors with an electric motor and remote control; a security alarm; oak internal doors with polished chrome handles and interior designed bathrooms and en suites that are individual to each house type. On the outskirts of the market town of Billingham - which hosts its own forum theatre, art gallery and an international folklore festival drawing participants from Spain to the Ukraine - Wynyard is also just six miles from Stockton-on-Tees with its broad pedestrianised high street, Castlegate and Wellington Square Malls, and a wide choice of restaurants. The nearby Teeside Retail Park and Leisure complex boasts a 14 screen cinema, bowling alley and wealth of restaurants - offering
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From here on all of Mark’s efforts will be put into getting into the top ten in the next NHBC awards, already planning to work out exactly what he can improve on in his next project in time to produce an even more outstanding quality of home. This would be an enormous achievement, but Mark relishes the challenge: “I like when you arrive on a site for the first time, wondering how everything will look once it’s complete,” He said. “I like the sense of achievement you get when the whole development is finally constructed. It’s not everyone who can say they have been rewarded with such a job.”
entertainment on a big scale. The surrounding area of Kensington Mansions is awash with outdoor activities from white water rafting at Tees Barrage to canoeing, paddle sports and power boat sailing at places like Castlegate Quay ad the River Tees Watersport centre. The acres of space around Kensington Mansions include the colourful meadows and wetlands of Billingham Beck country park, Cowpen Bewley’s woodland and Preston Park. The old freight-train route is now Wynyard Woodland Park, which encompasses paths, ancient country crafts events from weaving to woodturning, and even an observatory with a planetarium. The area is ideal for golfing, with the Eaglescliffe and Billingham Golf Clubs and the Wellington Course, named after the famous general, at Wynyard’s own club - a championship course hosting major events from the Seve Trophy to European tours. The nearby coast includes wildlife reserves including Seal Sands and its colony of grey seals. The Bellway Group has provided more than 100,000 homes since it was formed in 1946 and is one of the largest house builders in the country with operations spanning the length and breadth of the United Kingdom.
The company employs around 1,400 people with expertise covering a range of development disciplines. Key activities include: land acquisition, finance, planning, architecture, design, build management, marketing and customer service. Bellway homes are designed, built and marketed by local teams operating in regional offices managed and staffed by local people. This allows the company to stay close to its
Ray Dargue’s top performance at Wheatridge Park Site Manager for Bellway Homes, Ray Dargue has been rewarded for his quality work at the Tyneside development Wheatridge Park.
customers and to make key decisions about design, build, materials, planning and marketing in response to local and not national demands. Designers and other consultants tend to be local, which makes for house designs with a strong regional identity that is in tune with the local vernacular. Foreman, Assistant and then Senior Site Manager with Bellway Homes. Previously he worked for Barratt Homes. Wheatridge Park is situated in the small, friendly village of Seaton Delaval. The development is surrounded by the very best that the North East has to offer: it is within easy distance of Newcastle and its famous Metro shopping centre and close to historic attractions such as Whitley Bay and Seaton Delaval Hall. The development features an extensive range of housing styles, from two-bedroom apartments to five-bedroom detached
The Senior Site Manager, who has been with Bellway Homes for thirteen years, said “it’s always a pleasure to participate”. He has managed twelve Pride in the Job award-winning sites, but emphasised that success was dependent on more than just himself: “Competition is always tough,” he told us, “things change and it requires everybody to push themselves. It takes dedication and commitment from all the team.” Ray has worked with many of his current site team before, most for at least the past three years and some for as long as ten. Their experience together means that they all know exactly what they want to achieve from the beginning. The team are hoping to be able to celebrate this year’s award with a site party later this year. Ray Dargue started out in the industry as an apprentice bricklayer at the age of fifteen, before being promoted to Trades ROMA PUBLICATIONS
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family homes. Spacious designs in a wide variety of sizes and layouts offer family-living to suit all on a site surrounded by trees. In addition, the site incorporates several communal green spaces on top of the individual gardens included in all plots. The outstanding care that has been taken in building each home, combined with the highly desirable area, is sure to attract many prospective buyers. Bellway Homes also offer many additional services to ensure that homes are true value for money. These offers range from bespoke interior fittings to discounts for members of the armed forces and emergency services. It is currently a busy time on the site with it being the company’s year end. Wheatridge Park has been under construction for two and a half years. Subject to sales the building work could continue to run for another couple of years with a new phase extending the current site, and comprising the same types of housing as have already been built on the site.
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Cala Homes
CALA Homes: winners in the eyes of the NHBC The Scottish housing firm CALA Homes started out in the industry over thirty years ago and builds houses with durability in mind, as proven by their sites’ reception at the NHBC awards. CALA claim to create residences with attractive designs which have been painstakingly considered down to the very last detail, making for exceptional quality homes which mature well and combine to make vibrant, consistent developments. A commitment to quality is matched by a focus on providing the best possible customer service, considerately handling sales so that every new owner’s move is as smooth as it can be. Three of CALA’s sites in particular have been recognised by the NHBC: East Fettes, overseen by Mike Harding; The Mooring, managed by Mark Foley; and Kinaird Gardens by Robert lafferty, for CALA West Scotland. Brian Johnson, Construction Director, at CALA Homes (East) said: “Our managers perform at the highest standards, and Mike and Mark’s success is testament to the hard work and commitment that is shown on a daily basis.”
His 2010 NHBC Pride In The Job Award at the The Mooring site is the sixth in his collection, which also boasts two NHBC Seal OF Excellence commendations. Bringing his depth of experience to thirteen developments in East Scotland over his thirteen-year career with CALA, Mark Foley’s work is a major asset to the company. The development has been a storming success for CALA: over its launch weekend in October 2010, one third of the homes sold out in two days - another testament to the hard work of Mark and his team. Nestling on the picturesque banks of the Union Canal in Ratho, this superb new development brings contemporary family living to an idyllic waterside setting. The Mooring mainly comprises four and five bedroom detached homes from CALA’s stunning Signature Collection, and also features a four bedroom detached home from the company’s Lauriston range, nine three bedroom townhouses and 18 three bedroom terraced homes. Ratho is conveniently located on the edge of Edinburgh and is surrounded by a network of paths including the canal towpath, ideal for country strolls and cycling.
East Fettes Mike Harding has played a crucial role on the East Fettes site, and has now won his first NHBC award for his involvement on the project. Having been shortlisted from over thirteen thousand UK site managers, winning the award sets Mark apart as one of the country’s top men in the job. CALA credited Mark with paying extremely valuable attention to detail on the site in his two stints at East Fettes. East Fettes is a luxury development comprising apartments and penthouse suites in a block which also boasts basement parking facilities. The innovative architecture is complemented by private landscaped grounds and is just a walk away from the famously lively centre of Edinburgh.
The Mooring This waterside site in Ratho has been run by Project Manager Mark Foley, who already has an outstanding record.
Kinaird Gardens Robert Lafferty has scored his NHBC hat-trick after picking up an award for his work on the site at Kinaird Gardens, Larbert. The Site Manager has been with CALA West for the last seven of his twenty-three year career in the building industry, and has utilised all the tricks he has learnt over his time in the trade to successful effect on this site. Kinnaird Gardens in one of the largest of CALAs developments, as of 2010, and is home to a highly polished collection of four and five-bedroom detached family homes. The designs are from CALA’s Signature range, including the exclusive Executive Mews terraces, which offer the very best in contemporary living. The site is one component of the larger Kinaird Village project, which will see the development of a new, rounded community in the Lambert area. A new primary school will be opened and a bustling village high street is in the pipeline, featuring a care home, shops and childcare facilities.
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Gareth Flannigan claims first prize Upon receiving his first NHBC award for work on Pearlow Developments’ site The Cornmill, Gareth commented: “It’s nice to be recognised for the quality of work that we produce. It’s good that NHBC has acknowledged it.” Like many of the other winners, Gareth notes that the competition for the awards and in the housing market is generally getting tougher. “I think that with the economic situation over the last three years or so we’ve all really had to up our game,” he told us. “Customers are becoming harder and harder to please and when you hand a house over the very last thing you want is any complaints. Everything has to be one hundred percent.” He pointed out that, with all the choice available in the market, builders have to work extremely hard to get the details right in order to ensure that the crucial first impression of their development will stick in the mind of each prospective buyer. Working on attention to detail on The Cornmill has been integral to impressing the NHBC inspectors, and Gareth notes that the trades have upped their game: ‘They’ve realised that if we don’t sell houses the jobs won’t be there much longer!” The present team was brought together by Gareth, who took over the development four years ago. He told us that he’d made a few adjustments to get the project running smoothly and brought several new faces on board. The team now consistently produces their best. “Everyone feels that it’s a team effort,” he says. “There’s no sense that one labourer is doing a good job and another isn’t. We’ve certainly got a good team together.”
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He acknowledged that this is vital to the building industry today. “You’ve really got to build a good team around you. In years gone by, when the market was at its peak, most people were concerned with getting the job done as quickly as possible. Now we’ve got to keep things steady and maintain quality - if we don’t all do a good job, there won’t be any house sales. Continuity is the key to success,” he concluded, saying he was pleased with how the development had kept momentum in terms of sales whilst many other sites are struggling. The Cornmill is situated in the coastal village of Millisle, an extremely attractive setting just seven miles from Bangor. The site offers incorporated open spaces and beautiful architectural detailing, providing an ideal base for family living. As it stands there are several units left to start, and when Gareth spoke to us it was undecided whether certain plots would be developed into townhouses or apartments. Gareth and his team are also working on another site consisting of fourteen detached, energy efficient units in a unique woodland setting in Donaghadee. Despite attracting very positive feedback from viewers, only two of these units have been sold. He commented that whilst the larger houses display an excellent quality of detailed brick and stonework, sales on these more expensive properties are currently slower due to the financial squeeze. Gareth started out in the construction industry with a joinery apprenticeship. As he had always been a keen sailor, he initially hoped to be a carpenter in a shipyard, but the closure of the local shipyard and the increasing production of fibreglass boats put an end to this. Since then, Gareth has channelled his energy into quality housing - he set up his own joinery/carpentry business and was contracted by Pearlow. After he had worked on their sites for several years, they directly employed him. Since then he has been appointed as a director, and he is looking forward to the future of the company and his career.
Ta y l o r W i m p ey
NHBC and company gongs for David
NHBC Award winner David Glyn-Smith this year adds his second Pride in the Job accolade to additional commendations for production quality and health and safety won in his own company’s in-house schemes. David wins this year’s NHBC award for his work at Taylor Wimpey’s Kingston Chase development in Countess Way, Milton Keynes - his second win, with the first being for the same company’s Broughton Fields scheme in 2009. His formula for winning is: “Producing quality by managing the trades on site to achieve a high standard and produce superb quality homes for customers” He also attributes his success to the efforts of the site’s assistant manager John Sprigg. “The award is a pat on the back for the whole site team - after all I can’t win it if they don’t achieve the required standard of workmanship. They will also receive certificates to show that they have worked on an NHBC award-winning site, which is good for them” said David, adding that the good publicity is also a boost for marketing the site. Currently properties are selling well and if sales continue at the present rate, the site should be sold out by Christmas. “Buying a home is the biggest investment that most people make, so we do our best to make their dreams and aspirations come true” he added. This year the site team has a build target of over 50 units to be completed on the 191-unit site by the end of the year. Properties on the site include terraced homes, semis, detached properties apartments and three storey properties. John is one of two Taylor Wimpey Homes Site Managers to have won an NHBC Quality award this year, and both have been personally congratulated by the company’s directors. He started his career driving a fork lift truck in 1993, before being promoted to assistant site manager in 1996, then rising to Site Manager and now senior Site Manager. Kingston Chase, on the eastern fringes of Milton Keynes, offers an appealing selection of two, three, four and five-bedroom houses to suit all types of buyers, from individuals and couples through to large families. Kingston Chase’s residents will benefit from a range of community facilities being created at this sought-after development, including a primary school and public playing fields. A wider choice of everyday amenities can be found at the nearby Kingston Centre, a major retail park boasting big name stores such as Tesco, Next, Marks & Spencer and Boots.
Bus routes will link Kingston Chase to Milton Keynes town centre, which is just three miles from the development, and offers more than 230 shops, cafes, restaurants and an outdoor market. The town’s wide selection of leisure and entertainment facilities is also within easy reach by bus or by car, including the National Bowl and Milton Keynes Theatre District, StadiumMK and the Xscape dome, which features an indoor ski slope, a skydiving simulator, a rock-climbing wall, a multiplex cinema, bowling alleys and a health and fitness centre. Taylor Wimpey are homebuilding specialists and one of the UK’s largest house builders. Each of their brands is dedicated to building quality new homes with buyers in mind - whether buying from Taylor Wimpey, George Wimpey, or Bryant Homes. With a ten-year NHBC structural warranty, a Taylor Wimpey new home also offers that most valuable added extra, more peace of mind. Responsible urban planning is also essential to Taylor Wimpey. Whether it’s planning their developments around open space for everyone to enjoy, providing safe cycle and pedestrian paths or organising car-pooling initiatives, the company is scrupulous about providing developments that can match the lifestyle their customers want to live in.
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Fourth win for Gary Notching up his fourth NHBC Quality Award is Taylor Wimpey’s Gareth Day, Senior Site manager at Bramble Walk, Kings Reach, Biggleswade. Following on from awards won in 2003, 2008 and 2009, Gareth said” “It’s always a nice achievement after a year of hard work its good to have something at the end of it.” Previous awards are no guarantee of success, though, he says, and winners can’t afford to rest on their laurels. “You can’t guarantee anything you need to be constantly vigilant and uncompromising.” The quality of the site team too, is paramount. “Any site manager who thinks he can win an award without a good team must be dreaming. It is a real big team effort. I recently lost two long-standing members of my team who had won two previous awards with me and it has made a big difference.” He added that one of the challenges of the development was working at two different locations on the large site, situated approximately 1,000 metres apart. “At the moment I don’t have an assistant and it can be harder to monitor quality when having to constantly move back and forth between the two locations” he said. He started his career as a bricklayer, before moving on to be an assistant site manager for 18 months, then progressing to site manager and senior site manager. He joined his present company around 10 years ago. The development is proving a success in more ways than one. In addition to being an award-winning site, with customer satisfaction ratings of 100 per cent, the homes are also selling exceptionally well, says Gareth. So well in fact, that the company have increased the build programme from 40 units to 48 this year. When it comes to location, the homes at Bramble Walk really do have everything: acre upon acre of picturesque Bedfordshire countryside on the doorstep, the ancient town of Biggleswade just a short walk away, and a wealth of local amenities nearby. Part of the new community of King’s Reach, Bramble Walk will comprise 139 homes – an impressive combination of fresh contemporary and traditional architectural styles, including stylish two bedroom apartments through to charming and spacious three, four and five bedroom houses. Homes on the development include the four-bedroom York double fronted family house with two bay windows, exceptionally large open plan kitchen dining room and separate home office. The Hillier 3/4 bedroom home features a utility area off the kitchen, a large lounge with double door entrance and French doors to the garden, as well as an ensuite to the master bedroom with double sized shower, whilst the Lavender five bedroom
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home has a large kitchen/breakfast room and separate utility, plus dining room and home office on the ground floor. The Charleston three bedroom home is designed in a contemporary L-shape and has an open plan kitchen and dining room and separate lounge with French windows leading into the garden. In addition to creating a seamless natural extension to the wellconnected town, King’s Reach will benefit from a new lower school, community centre and local shops. The development will also bring improvements to transport in Biggleswade, with a new relief road to ease traffic and reduce journey times, as well as enhancements to local cycleways and footpaths to make green travel simple and fun. Biggleswade is an ancient town steeped in a rich heritage dating back centuries, and its bustling weekly Saturday market is still going strong after some 800 years. Today, the town also boasts a wide selection of high street and independent shops, supermarkets, pubs, restaurants, health facilities, a cinema and a leisure centre and pool, while a good choice of schools ensures children of all ages are well catered for. Quick links to London and Cambridge make Bramble Walk highly desirable for commuters. Biggleswade railway station is only a mile from the development and runs frequent services to King’s Cross, while the A1 is just half a mile away for both the capital and the north.
Stephen heads a winning team again Previously having won the ultimate accolade of a Seal of Excellence in 2006, senior Site Manager Stephen Sandilands has now won a second Pride in the Job award - this time for his work at Taylor Wimpey West’s Imperial View development in Airdrie. In Stephen’s experience “A well-managed site which looks good, quality workmanship and good health and safety practices” are all the hallmarks of an NHBC winner. In addition, he commends the efforts of his team. “I have a fantastic team, they have all worked really hard without exception and have been a great help to me. They are all pleased - even though they don’t get the same kudos as me” he said, adding “We felt that we narrowly missed out last year so we really got our heads down and worked - and now we’ve done it.” Stephen has retained the same site team for the last two years - including two of his family members! This site was previously occupied by a steelworks, so we have brought a splash of colour which has improved the area. The development has proved extremely popular with local people” said Stephen. Stephen started his construction career as an assistant site manager in 1994 and was promoted to site manager 1996, before becoming senior Site Manager. Comprising approximately 160 homes, the development is now in its final phase of construction of the last 60 properties. Imperial View comprises a mix of two, three and four bedroom new family homes. Every home is built to a high specification and customers also have the opportunity to personalise their home with an exciting range of optional extras. Properties on the development include the four bedroom detached Stewart (1,581 sq. ft.) with its’ impressive lounge, separate dining room with bay window to the front, kitchen, and utility room offers a practical and thoughtful layout for busy families. Upstairs are four well-proportioned bedrooms with master en-suite, Jack-and-Jill en-suite to bedroom 2 and 3, and family bathroom. An integral 1.5 garage adds to the overall practicality of this great family home. A stylish home, the four bedroom detached Douglas (1,108 sq. ft.) boasts a lounge with French doors overlooking the rear garden, as well as a separate kitchen and dining room making home entertaining a breeze. The en-suite to the master
bedroom, separate family bathroom and downstairs WC are well-considered conveniences for modern family-living. There’s also a handy integral garage. The two bedroom Andrew (686 sq. ft.) is a stylish home that offers two well-proportioned bedrooms as well as a spacious lounge/dining room with French doors leading to the rear garden. A practical family bathroom and separate WC are ideal for busy families. The development is located just 18 miles from the bustling city of Glasgow with a whole world of shopping, entertainment and culture for the whole family. There are many major UK high street stores, smaller boutiques and a wide variety of speciality shops. Shopping malls in Glasgow include the Sauchiehall Street Shopping Centre, the Buchanan Galleries, Princes Square and St. Enoch Shopping Centre. For sport and leisure there’s a swimming pool, golf club and gym in Airdrie and for walks there’s Drumpellier Country Park approximately a mile from Coatbridge. As a major European cultural capital, the city is a great place to explore. There are numerous free museums and galleries to choose from and with many parks and gardens spread across the city.
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Winning triple for Simon An eye for critical planning and man management has helped to seal a third successive NHBC Pride in the Job award for site manager Simon Langley. Simon, who works for Taylor Wimpey, is presently overseeing the Crest Park scheme in Bradford – a development of 141 houses over five years. It features a mix of 2 bed apartments and 2, 3 and 4 bedroom homes. However, Simon admits that his third award was probably one of the most difficult to achieve. This was down to the multiple challenges that the site presented: including different types of foundations, builds, and sizes of homes in two and three storey housetypes. Simon said: “I am always striving for excellence on every project we do and to get a third consecutive award is absolutely fantastic - I am over the moon. However, it is also a reflection on the great team of contractors that we have on site.” Simon has been in the construction field for 26 years, having started as an apprentice bricklayer and stone mason before rising through the ranks; for the last ten years he has acted as assistant and site manager. During his last four years with Taylor Wimpey, he has scooped company site manager in 2009 and 2010 and a runners-up award in 2011. He said: “I think the secrets to getting an NHBC award are: man management, trust, looking to drive standards up, planning, having a great team behind you, being committed to the job and providing excellent customer care. “After being recognised for this award, the Crest Park team is now even stronger and is delighted to have been commended in such a way. On a personal note, it means that I am now among the top 400 site managers in the UK and that’s got to be a good feeling. “I think it is good to be recognised by others within the construction sector. But we all appreciate that getting an award gets harder each year as judges look for increasing levels of perfection and more entrants are striving to drive standards up even further.” He said: “But that will give me the commitment to drive up my own standards to a new level and will obviously benefit the team, the company and the customer as well.” The Crest Park site, in Thorn Lane, is a stylish development of new build homes between the town of Shipley and the city of Bradford. It offers a collection of superb 2, 3 and 4 bedroom new homes for sale, making it perfect for both first time buyers and families alike. Crest Park benefits from outstanding views of the surrounding areas and is on the doorstep of a whole host of attractions and amenities, from the World Heritage site of Saltaire Village in Shipley to the National Media Museum and Ice Arena in Bradford.
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One of the housetypes on the development is a spacious 2 bedroom apartment featuring an entrance hall that leads to spacious lounge with French doors, which in turn leads to a Juliet balcony. This stylish home also incorporates a fully fitted kitchen, two bedrooms and a fitted bathroom. Another housetype, the Theakston, is a modern four bedroom, three storey townhouse designed to provide an idyllic lifestyle. Buyers have also been snapping up the Ingleton – a stylish three bedroom, three storey townhouse which provides all the practicality and space that a family might need. Taylor Wimpey was formed through the merger of George Wimpey and Taylor Woodrow on 3rd July 2007. Both businesses have a history dating 80 years or more with George Wimpey dating back to the 1880s and Taylor Woodrow to the 1920s respectively.
Dave’s “on top of the world” “On top of the world,” describes the elation of site manager Dave Sharman, scooping his first Pride in the Job Quality award for his work at Taylor Wimpey’s Reflection development in Wakefield. “We worked really well on such a tight canalside site and the award was really welcomed by all the team,” he said, adding: “I believe that you’re only as good as the team around you and I have a good team, so I’m really happy. In addition, this development was my first as site manager, which makes the success even better.” He says that he has also welcomed the advice and backing of his production manager Andrew Clarke, which he says has been a great help. “I am hoping that we can go forward from this award and do the same again,” said Dave, who has received a letter of congratulation signed by his MD. Starting as a joiner with a local company, Dave went selfemployed before joining Taylor Woodrow in 2004 as a foreman joiner, eventually being promoted to assistant site manager and more recently, site manager. Reflection is a stunning range of just twenty four luxury three and four bedroom townhouses, right in the centre of Wakefield’s exciting waterfront regeneration plan and is ideal for the first time buyer, growing families or those looking to downsize. The development was constructed on a fast track programme in just 12 months and is now complete and fully occupied. This unique development is close to a host of leisure facilities and local amenities including a multiplex cinema, a wide range of shops and a vibrant nightlife. The development also benefits
from superb road links to Leeds, Castleford and Barnsley. Wakefield centre is currently undergoing a refreshing change under the Wakefield Regeneration project, which aims is to create a better, brighter and stronger district, making Wakefield the place to live. Taylor Wimpey develops land into places that people want to call home by creating new and sustainable communities and enhancing local and existing neighbourhoods. “We work hard to provide our customers with a stress-free, high quality service whilst focusing on design and build quality. We create places where people aspire to live, work and play.”
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Elan homes
Pride award ‘is highest honour’ Stepping out of the construction game for five years has clearly not dented Steve Pugh’s ambitions, as he has just scooped an NHC Pride in the Job award. Steve, who works for Elan Homes and is presently overseeing their Bristol Mortimer Gardens project - a mixed development of 77 homes for sale and for rent - decided to take a break from the daily grind. But having stepped back into the industry where he “worked his way out of the trenches into a management position over a 30year period,” he has come back stronger than ever. He has built a dedicated team of workers and has a no-nonsense attitude to cleanliness, health and safety, and workers’ conditions. Steve said: “We have won the award, I think, simply due to our dedication to a quality product, mixed with good old fashioned pride and passion. I have a first class workforce which strives to produce the ‘Rolls Royces’ of the construction industry for customers. “This was my first step back into site management after a five year break. I’d had enough of poor workmanship and trying to manage an unmanageable workforce who had lost their pride and passion. “The industry seemed to have killed off a lot of people because companies were chasing numbers and trying to please shareholders rather than being focused on the product. “I decided to come back into the industry - but this time round, the big driver for me was that I would not compromise on quality, or on the right way of working on site. It was not going to be my way, but the right way. “Building is a simple science as long as it done properly and in an organized manner.” This extends to the site being spotlessly clean to the point, Steve says, that “you can walk in your slippers”. Coupled to that, he insists that workers have decent rest facilities, with toilets at service station standards. And all work within a 39-hour week. He said: “I set my stall out from day one. For example, I have modernised the way our drawings are held on computer, but I will only print out extracts of what workers need to look at and work on, rather than miles and miles of paperwork – a bad trait in our industry. It ensures that we are all doing the right thing, in the right place at the right times. “We have an excellent support structure. The team is trustworthy and can be relied upon to get on with job at hand. If anyone makes mistakes, as we all do, there are people around
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them to help them out and pull them through.” He added: “When I heard that we had received the award, it was a bit of a strange experience really. I am proud of my job and the guys are 100 per cent committed, so to get the recognition is fantastic. “It proves that being honest and open from the top down and ensuring that the job is done the right way, and done well, will ultimately get you respect from others and within the industry in general.” So successful has this tight knit approach been that 30 homes have already been finished on the Mortimer Gardens site and everything is bang on budget and on time. The development was designed with a nod to Victorian architecture, featuring a crescent of three-story terraced town houses and old fashioned coach houses. However, behind this impressive exterior is a range of contemporary modern homes suitable for family living. Privacy and security are key at Mortimer Gardens, and an exclusive selection of coach houses are contained within their own electronic-gated courtyard. A bustling high street will run through the centre of Mortimer Gardens and residents will be only five minutes from Bristol, which provides a blend of modern shopping and maritime history, arts and culture.
Geraint Thomas scales new heights The Taylor Wimpey South Wales Senior Site Manager Geraint Thomas has won the NHBC award for the Viridian development in Port Tennant, Swansea. Despite having an enviable fifteen years experience of achieving Pride In The Job awards - this year’s accolade is number eight in his collection, alongside two Seals of Excellence - Geraint described this particular project as “challenging to say the least.” He told Premier Construction that he felt “euphoric” at winning the award. Viridian consisted of three simultaneously developed phases, each of which had different build regulation specifications. The Site Manager inherited the project part way through the building process, having been put on the project in September 2010. This required careful management, as there were sometimes over eighty people at work at one time, and each separate phase was built by different subcontractors. Phase One comprised fifty-four units - twenty of which had not been completed when Geraint took over - which had to be built to pre-2008 regulations. Phase Two was a new development of thirty-five private housing units, while Phase Three consisted of thirty-two units of social housing. The latter were built in line with Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. Wider environmental concerns complicated the build process, as Viridian is located at the foot of a mountain, adjacent to a nature reserve. There were concerns about the water runoff from the mountain throughout the build. Subsequently, measures had to be put in place to avoid flood-risks and protect the reserve. After all of these difficulties, Geraint Thomas said that winning the award “felt like winning the NHBC regionals,” and that this
site was “the most challenging by far”. However, he pointed out that the efforts of his site team were absolutely fundamental to the success of the project, saying: “As a site manager, you’re only as good as the people working for you.” He also hoped that quality build sites such as Viridian would help to eradicate the popular myth that houses today ‘aren’t built like they used to be’. “Houses we build today are far better-built than they ever have been,” he told Premier Construction. He particularly praised Assistant Site Manager Dean Ford, who has worked with Geraint on his previous four award-winning sites. When Geraint moves on to his next project, Dean will be remain behind to complete Phase Four of Viridian - a block of flats and thirty more housing units - as Site Manager. Geraint is pleased to be leaving the site in such capable hands as he heads to his next development, a sixty-seven unit site in Barry where he aims to keep on improving on the overall build-quality of his work. As Phase Four progresses, the new owners of the houses from Phases One to Three will begin moving into their homes, all of which were forward-sold. This is another impressive testament to the quality of workmanship which spurred the team on. The site name ‘Viridian’ describes a shade of green, chosen for the association with new life and beginnings. For Geraint Thomas, work on the site has proven that his talent is as fresh and up-to-date as ever. Hopefully, it will also prove to be the site of a blossoming Site Management career for Dean Ford.
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Another accolade for multiaward winning Robert “Very happy, surprised and pleased” was the reaction of Millwood Designer Homes’ Cooden Place site manager Robert Baldock, when he heard that he had won the prestigious NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Award. Robert, who has also won several internal company awards - including three Excellent in Construction awards and Health and Safety Awards - said: “I had no idea we had been entered for the award; it really was a pat on the back for the hours we had put in. I had a good team and they are very pleased too.” He puts his success down to “Keeping quality high, close attention to detail and producing a good product. “These really are nice homes on a good development - large five bedroom properties with double garages in a Tudor style,” added Robert, who received a phone call of personal congratulation on his NHBC award from his company MD. He has been in the construction industry for 26 years, having started as a hod carrier, then a carpenter, before rising to site manager 11 years ago. He has been with Millwood Homes for eight years. So far, six homes have been sold on the seven home site. Cooden Place is nestled in the picturesque village of Cooden, situated in sought-after East Sussex on the beautiful south coast. This peaceful village benefits from the best of both worlds; it is set on a long shingle beach and surrounded by beautiful countryside and rolling fields. Cooden Place is cocooned by a wooded glen, offering a tranquil setting. The village is host to an array of amenities including the Cooden Beach Golf Club, which has distant views to Beachy Head from the undulating course, and the Cooden Beach Hotel which provides a restaurant and entertainment facilities. The famous De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill, just two miles away, houses a contemporary art gallery and a range of entertainment, as well as a fine restaurant with open-air balconies overlooking the sea. St Clements restaurant in nearby St Leonards, holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand award and is run by ex-Le Caprice chef Nick Hales. Bexhill is a quiet and relaxing town with an elegance all of its own, so it is not surprising that it has grown in popularity over the years and is considered a fantastic place to live. Richard Elliott, Sales Manager for Millwood, says: “The stunning collection of homes at Cooden Place have already received a lot of interest from buyers wanting to live in this fantastic development, which really does offer that dream lifestyle.”
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The homes benefit from a particularly impressive specification including: stylish designer fitted kitchens by Alno, with granite worktops and upstand; stainless steel undermounted double sinks with recessed drainer; fully integrated appliances by Siemens and AEG, including a full height fridge and freezer; extractor hood, dishwasher, 4 zone ceramic induction hob with stainless steel splashback, combination oven and single oven, utility room with base units and laminate worktops with a stainless steel sink and drainer, and ceramic floor tiles by World’s End to the kitchen/breakfast room and utility room. Bathrooms benefit from luxurious white suites by Sottini with contemporary chrome mixer taps; heated chrome towel rails to bathrooms and en suites, with glass shower screens and thermostatic valves to the showers and shower/baths and ceramic wall and floor tiling by World’s End to all bathrooms, en-suites and cloakrooms. The specification also includes: two panelled internal doors with chrome fittings finished in a white gloss (with half glazed doors to the living room, dining room and kitchen/breakfast room); a white painted softwood staircase with Ash handrails and an Inglenook fireplace with oak bressemer in The Turnberry, The Wentworth and The Belmont house types and a fireplace surround with gas point in The Gleneagles, The Belfry, The Montrose and The Oaklands house types. Coving is provided to all rooms except the bathrooms, ensuites, cloakrooms, kitchen/breakfast room and utility room. In addition, all properties will have landscaped front gardens
with areas of turf and feature planting and rear gardens provided with top soil and a patio. Millwood Designer Homes builds a broad range of individually designed homes, from contemporary styled apartments to more traditional two and three storey homes. The company is renowned for its large properties that are modelled on the traditional 15th and 16th century Yeomanstyle farmhouses, once so common in the Kent and Sussex Weald. Millwood is able to plan these types of homes to sit alongside other designs so they all blend together within a sympathetic street scene. Many new Millwood Designer homes combine period charm with all the benefits of the latest advances in construction and energy-efficient technology. Traditional exteriors belie the more contemporary interiors, whilst cottage style homes, as well as Georgian facades, are becoming more and more prevalent in Millwood’s portfolio. Millwood Designer Homes is based in Tonbridge, Kent and its exclusive developments can be found in country, town, village and waterside locations throughout Kent, Sussex and Surrey. By ensuring that all landscaping is sympathetic to the environment and that natural features and existing planting are retained whenever possible, the company enhances the rural aspects of any regenerated brownfield land. Millwood also strives to use reclaimed bricks and roof tiles at many of its schemes to embellish the traditional design. Furthermore, as the UK’s first Carbon Neutral housebuilder, Millwood supports a range of renewable energy and sustainable forestry carbon offset projects, which will save or absorb one tonne of carbon dioxide for every tonne the company creates. Millwood’s continued policy of combining all that is best in local architectural history with the latest in modern technology and innovation has won the company many prestigious awards. Awards won by Millwood Designer Homes include: What House? Awards 2010 GOLD - Best Small Housebuilder; Evening Standard Awards 2010 Best New Family Home up
to 3 Bedrooms; LABC Awards 2010 Best Small Housing Development; West Kent Business Awards 2010 Customer Care & Service; Premier Guarantee Awards 2010 Small Development of the Year; What House? Awards 2009 Best Luxury House; Evening Standard Awards 2009 Best New Family Home up to 3 Bedrooms, Best New Family Home up to 5 Bedrooms and Best Small Development; Gold Eros New Home of the Year Award; LABC Awards 2009 Best Small Developer and/or Development; Royal Tunbridge Wells Civic Society Conservation Awards 2008; LABC Awards 2008 Best Apartments and Evening Standard Awards 2008 Best Small Development. Millwood Designer Homes builds a broad range of individually designed homes - from contemporary styled apartments to more traditional two and three storey homes.
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Bargate Homes
“A huge honour” for Dave Winning a Quality Award is “A huge honour” for Bargate Homes Site Manager Dave Guy, who has achieved one of the building industry’s highest honours for his work at The Old Brewery– a £7.5 million redevelopment of a former drinks factory in Hambledon. Dave, 46, from Old Netley, Bursledon, has worked with Bargate since it was founded by Gerard Price in 2005. He said: “I am absolutely thrilled with this award. We take a great deal of pride in the work we do at Bargate and to be recognised for that is a huge honour.” “For me the two key factors of winning an award are ensuring and maintaining good organisation and good quality right from the start of the development. You never know when the award inspectors will come, so standards have to be high all the time,” he said.
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“It’s also an achievement for the team and the thanks are passed on down through the ranks,” said Dave, who has had a phone call of congratulation from his managing director. He has been in the construction industry since he left school around 25 years ago, having started out as a bricklayer. Bargate managing director Angus Cook said: “This is a fantastic achievement and places Dave in the top 400 site managers in the country. We now go onto the national finals and fingers crossed we’ll win that too! “This award demonstrates that we actually put into practice what we say we do – build high quality homes in places where people want to live. It really underpins the way we as Bargate conduct ourselves at every level of the business. “I am so proud of Dave and the whole team, which includes the numerous sub-contractors we work with – some of the best in the area, all of whom are committed to delivering the best new homes in our region.” Constructed on the site of family-owned soft drinks firm Hartridges, Old Brewery is situated in one of the most sought after locations in Hampshire. Surrounded by quintessentially English countryside, the site in West Street comprises 28 one, two, three and four-bedroom
homes - together with 3,000 sq ft of office space. Unusually, nine of the new homes are specifically designated for people who are connected to the village or have family living there. The Hartridge family previously owned the site for more than 100 years, but they have relocated the business to a more appropriate location for its distribution needs in Petersfield. Bargate Homes spent more than a year putting together a very sensitive development proposal which respects the unique character of Hambledon village, which is now regarded as a conservation area both in terms of the village itself and its surrounding countryside. The Hartridge family have been custodians of the site for many generations and were keen to ensure that the site’s redevelopment was of the highest quality possible, that it fitted in with and benefited Hambledon village and ultimately provide something the family could be proud of. “A huge honour” for Dave Bargate Homes sales and marketing director Robert Lambie said: “We’re hugely proud of The Old Brewery development. It was on the horizon for a long time and we worked very hard, together with our joint venture partners Burton Property, to make sure that the development is sensitive to the very real needs of the village. “Hambledon and its surrounding countryside is regarded as a conservation area and The Old Brewery reflects and respects its unique character.” Hambledon – the ‘cradle of cricket’ – is everything one would expect from a Hampshire village – picturesque, historic and quintessentially English. Yet this almost cloistered village lies just six miles from the M3, is only a 30-minute drive from Portsmouth and 45 minutes from Southampton, making it the perfect base for work, rest and play. The Old Brewery development is at the heart of this piece of Hampshire haven. All the homes are beautifully designed and exude quality.
Nestled among the sweeping farm and woodlands of the South Downs, the village follows the line of an ancient riverbed at the eastern end of the Meon Valley. The area was awarded National Park status in 2009, confirming what local residents have always known – that much of England’s green and pleasant land is right on their doorstep. Currently construction of the development is progressing on programme and is due for completion in October.
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Morris homes
Joe is a man with a passion Site Manager Joe Platt of Morris Homes is a man with a passion: a passion for his work as a site manager, which has paid off in the shape of a NHBC quality award for his site at the Point development in West Derby. “The NHBC awards recognise our passion for our industry and illustrate our commitment to high standards on the sites that we run,” he said. Commenting on the award, Joe said: “The most important thing to Morris is that we create homes - not just houses - and that those homes are of a very high standard.” The Point is a superb development with a wide range of properties, from apartments through to large detached homes. The scheme has the double advantage of not only being a brand new award-winning development that has been planned, designed and built to the most exacting standards, but it is also located in the popular and well-established village setting of West Derby and is bordered by a golf course and mature trees. From a close community atmosphere that is well served for schools and amenities to an excellent transport infrastructure
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(not forgetting the Liverpool John Lennon airport which offers a range of value for money flights throughout Europe), The Point is great place to live. Now a mature suburb of Liverpool, there is still a ‘village’ feel to West Derby, which has excellent schools and amenities. The Point not only allows easy access to Liverpool city centre, but it is only a short drive away from the M57, M58 and the M62, and the rest of the extensive North West motorway network. As one of the country’s leading independent housebuilders, Morris Homes know that quality and service counts - every step of the way. This commitment runs through everything they do from the purchase of the land on which their houses are built, right through to the company’s after sales service. Morris Homes’ high standard of design, build quality, landscaping, site management and environmental commitment is regularly recognised by the house building industry. The company’s site managers are regular winners in the National House Building Council’s (NHBC) Pride in the Job scheme – an initiative which recognises best practice in construction and site
management. Only a small number of awards are made each year from a total of 18,000 managers. The professionalism of Morris Homes’ site teams means the company is one of the top performers for its size.
Many of the company’s schemes have won national awards for their distinction. Morris Homes’ Fulwood Park development in Preston, Lancashire, was recently awarded a maximum five stars in the Daily Mail UK Property Awards. Judges highlighted its beautifully landscaped grounds, children’s play area and ‘traditional village community’ feel. Your New Home magazine also voted Morris Homes’ Worthington Park scheme in Standish, near Wigan, best in class, praising the preservation of local architecture, the creation of natural habitats for protected species and a ‘unique collection of homes’. Dozens of Morris Homes schemes have been awarded the Greenleaf Standard – an industry symbol which recognises high quality landscaping design on individual plots and the overall development. Meanwhile the company’s efforts in sustainable design and construction have earned them the title ‘Green House Builder of the Year’ in the Green Construction Awards. Commenting on Morris, the panel of judges said the company had made a ‘wholesale commitment’ to the green agenda and were ‘leading the way’ for other house builders.
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NHBC Mascott Construction
Paddy Hughes makes a fantastic first impression Although he has a wealth of experience in a wide range of different construction projects, the residential development on Lisburn Road, Belfast, is the first NHBC site that Paddy has worked on. But that didn’t stop him from walking away with a Pride in The Job award for his work on the site. The development on Lisburn Road comprises a block of onebedroom apartments, built by contractors Mascott Construction for private developers Deramore. The construction is built on a steel frame, with an outer facing of brickwork, wooden cladding and rendering, with aluminium-framed windows and doors. “The apartments are quite different for the city centre,” Paddy told us. All the ground to fourth-floor units have their own balconies, whilst the top two floors have some shared roof gardens, and are impressively finished. Paddy’s career began in 2004, when he graduated with a BSc in Engineering Construction Management and went to work on a variety of different projects throughout the UK, ranging from libraries to hospitals. After only a short spell in residential construction that unfortunately coincided with the recession hitting the industry, Paddy was made redundant. “Being made redundant
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in Northern Ireland is hard for anybody,” Paddy told us. However, he made a strong comeback, finding work with Mascott and going straight onto the Lisburn Road project, for which he was very grateful. “I could have gone over to Scotland or England to find work, “he said, “but it was great to get this job and be able to stay at home.” Now, he is “over the moon” to have received this accolade for his work. With fronts onto three main roads in the city, the Lisburn Road site was not an easy one to build on, due to the rather restricted access. “Bringing all the contractors onto the site was challenging, especially with it being such a tight spot,” Paddy reported. Lots of liaising was required to control traffic and cordon off roads for certain periods of the build, particularly sectioning off an area to allow a crane onto the site for four
months. “I had to make sure I kept local residents informed,” the Site Manager told us, “knocking on doors and explaining what was going on.” Despite the small inconveniences that the construction work necessitated, there has been interest in the apartments throughout the project. Several of the units have already been sold - another positive reflection on the work by Paddy and his team. “People were coming onto the site during the project, asking me to recommend the best property for them,” Paddy said. “The site’s really convenient for Queen’s University and the Royal Victoria Hospital, so there were lots of parents of medical students asking about the properties.” Paddy is looking forward to celebrating with his site team later in the year. He is now back on-site on a different project with Mascott and hoping to continue his success in the future.
Banner Homes
The flag flies high at Banner Homes Leading independent house-builder Banner Homes have been developing since 1975, and have recently collected several additions to a portfolio of awards which recognise the perfectionism evident in the finishes of all their homes.
Three of Banner Homes’ Site Managers have won NHBC Pride In The Job Awards this year: Tim O’Toole, for Ferndale Gate; Andy Morris who worked at Church View; and Dave Knight with Partridge Corner.
Ferndale Gate Ferndale Gate in Blackwell, Worcestershire, comprises six spacious homes, each featuring five generously proportioned bedrooms, multiple en-suites and a TV room. Banner Homes prides itself on attention to detail, and notable luxury extras at Ferndale Gate include A-rated efficient kitchen appliances, fantastic media and electricity wiring provision, and underfloor heating. The NHBC Pride In The Job award for Tim and his team demonstrates the painstaking effort taken to ensure at every stage of the build-process that customers will be completely satisfied with their new home, and continue to love it for many years. Demand at the site has resulted in the sale of the original show home and the launch of another earlier in June, complete with landscaped garden. Four of the six houses had been sold at the time of printing.
The now tranquil site does not give away its more eventful construction history. Work was set back by a couple of weeks when the team found old World War Two shells and had to call in professional assistance to remove the hazards and scan the rest of the site. But once assured that the site was completely safe, Dave led his team to the completion of a first rate project.
Partridge Corner Nestled in the Cotswolds, Partridge Corner in Birdlip, Gloucestershire is a development of two- and three-bedroom houses, finished in an attractive variety of elevations and are ideal for young families. It is Site Manager Dave Knight’s first NHBC award, and he told Premier Construction “I’m very proud of this and chuffed for everyone involved. As soon as we heard we were nominated everyone upped their game.” The site team are looking forward to celebrating their success at the awards ceremony. Dave said that it was a combination of the quality of craftsmanship and the materials used in the build which made the site stand out above the rest of the nominees. Beautiful dry stone walls in local Cotswold stone mark the perimeter of the site, and painted timber windows add to the attractively traditional street scene. ROMA PUBLICATIONS
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Dave Knight started his career twelve years ago as Trainee Assistant Manager with Beazer Homes, before moving up to Assistant and then Site Manager with Banner Homes. Construction work at Partridge Corner is just drawing to a close, with houses selling well. Once work is done, Dave will be going straight to work on a similar site down the road in Stroud, which will also involve a variety of traditional brick and stone work. Meanwhile, Dave is hoping that Partridge Corner will make it through the next round of marking, where it could potentially win him a Seal Of Excellence.
Church View This development in Southam, Warwickshire is another which has experienced high demand, with only two out of sixty-one unit left to be sold. There are a mixture of apartments and twoto four-bedroom homes on the site, which is a beautiful addition to the historic market town. As is to be expected with Banner Homes, interior finishes and external elevations are of the highest quality, to which the NHBC Award for Andy Morris and his site team pays tribute. This is the second consecutive year that Andy has received an NHBC Award for his team’s work at Church View. Besides the awards, Church View has enjoyed an overwhelming
amount of positive feedback from occupants such as delighted Ms Stevens, who commented, “The whole feel of the home has a real ‘wow’ factor that I fell in love with it. Everything in the home has been carefully thought out and Banner Homes’ attention to detail is second to none.” Banner Homes’ success at the NHBC awards follows hot on the heels of significant wins at the 2010 ‘What House?’ awards, where the company won Bronze in the Best Medium Housebuilder category. Their luxury, gated Posbrook Farm development also won Silver in for the Best Brownfields development. Posbrook Farm consists of ten high-specification homes, built in a wide variety of sizes and styles, and the judges at the awards praised the cohesion of the development, and gave particular mention to one of the buildings. They said, “One particularly impressive structure – which on first inspection appears to be a skilful barn conversion – is actually a new-build designed to look like a renovation.” This is excellent confirmation of how the company managed to integrate the architectural heritage of the site into deluxe modern housing. For further information about Banner Homes please visit: www. bannerhomes.co.uk
DKM Homes
Quality project brings quality award A small housing company which prides itself on going the extra mile for its clients can now reflect on that ethos after achieving a NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Award. For co-founder of DKM Homes, Bridgnorth, Daren Guest, it is the first award with the company – his second in his career – but he considers it to be the most important as it was given in the face of stiff competition from bigger and well-resourced companies. The new award was given for DKM’s project at The Grange, in Westgate Drive, Bridgnorth. It is a unique development of three new homes set in the mature grounds of a substantial late Victorian residence which was also refurbished in the scheme. The development is located within a short level walk from Bridgnorth town centre. Daren said: “I think the award was given because of the quality of the workmanship on the project and the materials used. We set out to give clients their dream home and that means from the first brick to the last tile on the roof. “We are proud of what we do and the tradespeople we use
are ones that we are loyal to -and they are loyal to us. We are delighted that a small company can compete with the big guns of the construction sector and still come out on top. “The award is also recognition for the standards we set out to achieve. It is a testament to the whole team.” Daren, who is a carpenter by trade, has served a project manager with Barratt and later Taylor Woodrow, where he took his first NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Award. After redundancy, he decided to set up his own business which has grown successfully year on year. The three new build units on the site include one four bedroom and two five bedroom homes, all with large gardens. The new homes include high quality contemporary kitchens and bathrooms, generously proportioned accommodation and
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NHBC an up to the minute specification. At the centre of the development sits the Grange, a late Victorian residence that has undergone an extensive refurbishment bringing the property up to date, including stylish, modern kitchen and bathroom installation, while maintaining the original features of this wonderful period home. All of the properties sold quickly – including one which was snapped up when the builders had only just marked out the plot with pegs. “The development enjoys a superb location in the grounds of an old manor in one of the last sites of this type left in Bridgnorth. The manor is set in one and a half acres and this creates a wonderful sense of space. This has been a very successful development and winning the award is just the icing
on the cake” said Daren, adding that the company always tries to provide that little bit extra for purchasers. “Our first scheme involved the construction of starter homes and we included solid granite worktops in the kitchen specification – something that you would not normally expect in this price range” he added. DKM is a residential development company that is dedicated to quality workmanship throughout the build process to ensure that its properties are of the highest quality. The company’s next scheme is a luxury barn conversion project. Through its continued use of established qualified tradesmen and contractors, DKM’s focus remains the delivery of high quality developments.
Crest Nicholson
Majid scoops second title in three years A civil engineer turned project manager has scooped his second NHBC Pride in the Job Award for his work on a multi-million residential development in Kingstonupon-Thames. Majid Ridha, of Crest Nicholson Ltd (South), received the award for The Royal Gallery – a seven-storey 124-apartment project. The scheme also won a second commendation from the NHBC for its on-site health and safety performance. Majid, who has been with the company for 10 years, said: “It is a great feeling to receive the award, but it is one for all the team working on the project. I believe it was the team’s attention to detail that enabled us to secure the award.” For the former civil engineer, who turned to project managing sites several years ago, it is his second award in three years. He said: “The award is also recognition for the way the team had to manage and build on a site where access was difficult, efficiency of material supply was key and planning was critical. We coped, but it was a bit of a challenge.” The building, which has been designed into the shape of the letter ‘E’, features wings consisting of one, two and threebedroom apartments, including 79 private and 46 affordable homes. The building is constructed on a concrete podium, with
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landscaped gardens between each wing. All wings are linked into one build, and a doctor’s surgery is incorporated on the ground and first floors, with car parking at basement level. Apartments benefit from either a terrace or balcony, and the development also features a selection of penthouses with large rooftop terraces.
Kitchens will come complete with stylish units, electric ovens and brushed steel Bosch appliances, including an electric oven with chimney hood and gas hob. Penthouses will come with granite worktops, double electric ovens and stylish glass chimney extractor hoods. Bathrooms and en-suite bathrooms to master bedrooms will include elegant Hansgrohe fittings. Nearly half of the properties have already been sold and the project is close to completion. The history of the Kingston-upon Thames is evident and impressive, highlighted through the Kingston Royal Walkabout, a royal heritage trail that takes in the Coronation Stone, which has seen the ascension of many an ancient King. The pedestrian friendly town centre has an abundance of shops, leisure facilities, bars, cafés, restaurants and a thriving nightlife, especially by the waterfront on The River Thames. Further to this, Kingston is also home to the Rose Theatre, a multiplex cinema and a bustling market. There is a Sainsbury’s supermarket a stone’s throw from The Royal Gallery for the height of convenience, whilst John Lewis and Waitrose are also
within easy reach. There are also an array of local sporting facilities such as Esporta health club opposite The Royal Gallery, a David Lloyd gym in The Rotunda and a Virgin Active in the nearby Bentall Centre, which also plays host to a range of restaurants and shops. Kingston upon Thames has good communication links with London and the south east via the M25 and M3 motorways as well as the A3. South West Trains also run peak time services from Kingston every 10 minutes via Wimbledon and Clapham Junction to Waterloo. Crest Nicholson has been building new homes for over four decades and is firmly established as a leading developer with a passion for not just building homes, but creating vibrant sustainable communities. Its development portfolio ranges from contemporary city centre apartments and townhouses to traditional detached family homes and complex regeneration schemes.
Badger Homes
Award ‘recognises’ local trades’ team too The company owner and site manager of an awardwinning development has pinpointed local tradesmen as the key to his success in winning an NHBC Pride in the Job Quality award.
dust from the air and minimises the chance of allergic reactions to dust particles.
Mike Oram, founder and managing director of Badger Homes, spoke of his delight for the team that helped him to win the award for the £4 million development of Elwyn House, situated in The Avenues, one of the most established and desirable residential areas in Exmouth. He said: “The key to the award and a fantastic finish on the development is the fact that I use a local team of tradesmen who work well together and get the job done. I have worked with them for the best part of 20 years so this award is really in honour of them.” Elwyn House is a select development of 14 two and three bedroom luxury apartments, with the ground floor units having direct access onto the communal gardens and terraces. All the apartments to floors one and two have balconies, as well as access to the communal gardens. All have been finished to a high specification with modern kitchens, intelligent lighting systems and gas fired under floor central heating. They also feature a central vacuum system which sucks out the
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NHBC Mr Oram said that some of the installations, such as the central vacuum system, had first been tested in his own home, before being rolled out on to this development The development also incorporates electric access gates, lift access to all floors, allocated parking and a bicycle store. The ground floor apartments have direct access onto the communal gardens and terraces, whilst all apartments to floors one and two have balconies as well as access to the communal gardens and facilities. As with all Badger Home developments, the specification is of a very high standard with modern, stylish kitchens, innovative use of space and design in the bathrooms, a wide range of quality tiles and interior design packages available to choose from the company’s interior design team, should this be required. Mr Oram said: “I am delighted with the award but it is really recognition for all the hard work they have ploughed into Elwyn House. We all put our heart and soul into all Badger Homes developments and the award really does realise this.” Badger Homes was founded in 1985 and Elwyn House represents the latest in a long line of luxury developments it has built over the years. Based in Budleigh Salterton, Devon, Badger Homes are one of the area’s largest independently owned new home builders. They have, over the years, established an excellent reputation for service, quality, individuality of design and customer satisfaction. All of this is maintained by their expert technical staff, skilled and well established local labour force and the continued use of high quality building materials. Due to their ability to be flexible in their approach, they are able to offer an extremely wide variety of new homes. Whether it is a starter home, family home, bungalow or apartment, they are sure they can cater for individual needs. The company was awarded the title of ‘Potton Builder of the Year’ in 1992 and has also been nominated for local authority best new build awards.
Fa r r a n s
Five Star Performance From Stephen Foster Winning his fifth NHBC Award - this time for his work on the challenging £60 million Lakeside residential development in a former quarry in Coleraine - is Farrans Homes site manager Mr Stephen Foster. The project, on a 42 acre site, is one of the most unique and visionary civil engineering projects ever attempted in the UK. Located in the former disused Northstone quarry, the development will feature 450 superb homes and a beautiful lake with a stunning cliff-face backdrop. The lake has been created using a geogrid wall system, and forms on eof the largest retaining wall structures of its type in the UK. “This is a unique site using quality materials and constructed to high quality standards. It’s a team effort and I have a very good team.” By combining feature buildings along the lake front, with treelined boulevards, the development will create a genuinely private living space in the centre of Coleraine. The promise of the Lakeside development is being realised by the successful integration of a diverse mix of residential properties including high quality apartments and houses, with plenty of open public space. Through careful planning of street layouts and the orientation of the buildings, the impact of vehicles is being minimised whilst
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the views to the lake and landscaping are utilised for optimal enjoyment. The scheme is also setting new standards in environmental sustainability with most of the materials sourced from the site, such as stone from the ‘cliff’ face which will be used for foundations and roads. Stephen Foster said: “There are 42 acres here, that’s right from the quarry basin and most of it, the top of it, has level ground. The scale of it is mind-boggling. “Anyone looking at it could have taken the easy option and developed the top section and let the hole in the ground go. “But Stephen Villiers at Alan Patterson Design came up with this concept of a massive cut and fill exercise and so we needed approximately 350,000 cubic metres of material to fill this hole in the ground.” To give an idea of what this means - an average concrete lorry carries eight cubic metres of material and so, to fill the massive hole, it would take about 43,750 lorry loads. Stephen explained: “This is the first quarry of its kind that anyone’s ever done this with. “I would say it’s a bigger operation than Victoria Square, certainly one of the biggest cut and fill exercises for quite some time, certainly the biggest that I can remember. Farrans Homes has been working closely with the scheme’s architect, Alan Patterson Design, Bangor, in order to deliver a contemporary and unique development which reflects the unusual and stunning setting. So far approximately 35 building shells have been constructed. The first occupations have commenced and purchasers were delighted with the quality of the homes and the standards set by Stephen and his team. Philip Tweedie of Philip Tweedie and Co, Coleraine, who are the selling agents, said: “Interest has been high…the site is developing well!” He also expressed the company’s pride in being associated
with the build, saying “We are delighted to be involved in such a unique and exciting project. “When completed, it will be a fantastic residential development for the Coleraine borough.”
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