Construction work has started at a new housing development on the edge of Desborough, where Bellway and Ashberry Homes are building 700 properties. A ceremony to mark the ground-breaking was held at the 88-acre site off Stoke Road on Thursday 3 August. Bellway will be building 350homes at its development,
Factory No. 1, the prestigious redevelopment of the former Imperial Tobacco Company headquarters in Bristol’s vibrant Bedminster district by City & Country, has won the ‘Best Large Development’ category at the First Time Buyer Readers’ Awards on Friday 1st September. Now in its 13th year, the First Time Buyer Readers’
Cole Waterhouse and Taurus Investment Holdings have now achieved completion at ‘Eda’, Erie Dock Apartments, the landmark 290-bedroom Build-to-Rent (BTR) scheme at Salford Quays. At 29-storeys the BTR building is the highest residential tower on the Salford Quays skyline and has been completed on budget and three months ahead of
Leading East Midlands Homebuilder, Fairgrove, is aiming to attract new recruits to its existing workforce as the country’s demand for housing continues to grow amidst an ongoing and entrenched labour shortage. The family-run homebuilder currently has three development projects under way, which include the Brewery Yard and Nine Corners in
Housebuilder The Hill Group has announced the acquisition of a 17-acre site for residential development in the picturesque village of Fulbourn, Cambridgeshire, to deliver 110 high-quality new homes for the local area. With a strong reputation for sustainable redevelopment across Cambridgeshire, Hill will provide a wide range of attractive, energy-efficient
Far East Consortium (FEC) has secured planning permission for the next phase of their Red Bank Scheme, a joint venture project with Manchester City Council’s Victoria North. Passed by Manchester City Council’s planning committee on August 31st, the approval helps to unlock FEC’s ambitions to deliver up to 4,800 new
Bellway is set to start demolition works on the site of a former brickworks and council depot in Midhurst which will be transformed into an attractive development of new sustainable homes. There will be 69 homes at Thornley Grange, off Bepton Road in the West Sussex town. The northern part
Midlands-based homebuilder Spitfire Homes has secured planning permission for 371 homes across the Midlands in just one week. Leading the plans is a 280-home scheme in Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, along with a further 61 properties located at a former Sandvik HQ in Halesowen, Dudley, and a collection of 30 new homes
Regional housebuilder Beal Homes has secured full planning permission to complete a £210m development in one of Yorkshire’s fastest-growing towns. The planning approval from East Riding of Yorkshire Council is for 600 homes, giving the green light for Beal to continue to deliver The Greenways in Goole. The Greenways is
A new site manager has won a coveted industry accolade just a year into the job, aged just 26.Ben Taylor, from Sutton Coldfield, was appointed site manager at Bellway West Midlands’ Green Oaks development in Hednesford last year. This time spent learning the job has now paid off, with Ben
Construction work has started at a new housing development on the edge of Desborough, where Bellway and Ashberry Homes are building 700 properties. A ceremony to mark the ground-breaking was held at the 88-acre site off Stoke Road on Thursday 3 August. Bellway will be building 350homes at its development, called Weavers Fields, while Ashberry Homes, which is part of the Bellway Group, will be deliveringthe other 350 properties at The Wickets. Detailed plans for the overall scheme, which will include 140 affordable homes available for local people through shared ownership or low-cost rent, were given the go-ahead by North Northamptonshire Council last year. Luke Southgate, Sales Director for Bellway Northern Home Counties, said: “Getting construction work started at Weavers Fields is a very welcome and much-anticipated development for this exciting project. “We and our colleagues at Ashberry Homes have worked closely with the council on the plans for this development. This scheme will not only deliver hundreds of new homes to the area but will also see jobs created in construction and sales during the build life of the site. “We are keen to forge ahead with the building programme here and hope to have the first homes on the market by October.” The development, where land will be provided for a new school, will feature new public open space and parkland, including allotments, a community orchard and children’s play areas. Steve Smith, Sales Director for Ashberry Homes, said: “There is a strong demand for new housing in this part of Northamptonshire and we have had a lot of interest in The Wickets since we first announced our plans to build here. “We anticipate that the collection of three and four-bedroom houses at the development will be particularly appealing to families who want to live in a semi-rural setting, in the charming Ise Valley. Parents will be attracted by the range of well-regarded schools in the area, with Havelock Junior and Infant Schools and Loatlands Primary School all within walking distance. “The development is ideally located as it is set on the edge of the small town of Desborough, which has a selection of shops and services, while the larger market towns of Market Harborough and Kettering are just five and six miles away respectively. “There are excellent transport links in the area. Motorists will appreciate that the A14 is a five-minute drive, while people wanting to travel to London by train can use Market Harborough or Kettering railway stations which offer regular services to London St Pancras in under an hour.” For more information about the new homes at Weavers Fields, call the sales team on 01536 614290 or visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/northern-home-counties/weavers-fields while for The Wickets, call 01536 614392 or visit https://www.ashberryhomes.co.uk/new-homes/east-midlands/the-wickets. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Factory No. 1, the prestigious redevelopment of the former Imperial Tobacco Company headquarters in Bristol’s vibrant Bedminster district by City & Country, has won the ‘Best Large Development’ category at the First Time Buyer Readers’ Awards on Friday 1st September. Now in its 13th year, the First Time Buyer Readers’ Awards was created to recognise the efforts made to help aspirational buyers onto the housing ladder. After examining the largest field of entries that the FTB Readers’ Awards has ever seen, the judges and readers felt that the sympathetic factory restoration and conversion by heritage specialist City & Country was the overall winner of the Best Large Development category. Choosing Factory No.1 from among entries by some of Britain’s largest housebuilders, judges were impressed by the scheme’s superb location, high specification and attention to detail. The award was decided by votes from first time buyers themselves – and Factory No. 1 has consistently proved to be extremely popular with that demographic, with 60 per cent of sales so far made by those purchasing their first home. Lynda Clark, CEO of First Time Buyer, said of City & Country’s award win: “Factory No.1 is a fantastic development, and both our judges and readers were in agreement that it was the winner in the Best Development category. Clearly a lot of care and detail has gone into creating a really unique development for first time buyers in Bristol, offering both high quality and value for money. Despite market challenges, homeownership has never been so important to so many, so it is essential that we recognise the hard work undertaken by the industry to help make it possible.” Jennifer Rhodes-Finch, Head of Marketing at City & Country, says: “It is wonderful for the whole team at Factory No.1 to win this national award. Factory No.1 is a very special development of apartments which combines old and new, open space and security. Whether converted or new, the unique apartments here not only have a convenient central location, but also feature high-specification interiors, beautifully landscaped gardens and a range of price points that make it easy for first time buyers to tick all the boxes on their wish list.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Cole Waterhouse and Taurus Investment Holdings have now achieved completion at ‘Eda’, Erie Dock Apartments, the landmark 290-bedroom Build-to-Rent (BTR) scheme at Salford Quays. At 29-storeys the BTR building is the highest residential tower on the Salford Quays skyline and has been completed on budget and three months ahead of schedule by contractor Domis Construction. Last month the team secured the first letting for the building with numerous units also now under offer having received over 500 enquiries in the first four days of marketing. Designed by Chapman Taylor architects, Eda is a 250,640 sq ft, L-shaped residential building comprising one, two and three-bedroom apartments which are now available to let. Three show apartments, designed and furnished by Project FF&E, are open for walk-in viewings throughout September. A series of curated events for residents and prospective occupiers is also planned through the autumn with partnerships from local retail and leisure operators. Commenting on the partnership with Taurus and achieving early completion of Eda, Simon Gallanders, Managing Director of Cole Waterhouse Residential, said: “We’ve worked in close partnership with our joint venture partner Taurus and our contractor Domis to achieve this milestone, taking a highly collaborative approach from start to finish which has had a significant impact on the speed and quality of delivery. We have some exciting collaborations planned with local food and drink establishments, leisure, retail and transport operators to provide discounts and exclusive deals for our new residents who are looking forward to moving into the building this month.” “The delivery of Eda really has been a great example of a best-in-class partnership working together to achieve a superb sustainable project,” stated Nick Jacobs, Managing Director of Taurus UK. “We started this programme in Covid and despite the continued economic turbulence and the associated supply and skills issues Domis has completed a remarkable job to be able to achieve such an early handover of the building.” “I am grateful for the incredible efforts and execution of all our partners who have helped to bring to life our unique and distinctive vision for Eda.” He added: “We are already working on our second joint venture partnership with Cole Waterhouse at Upper Trinity Street in Digbeth, Birmingham and look forward to bringing the first phase forwards in 2024.” Lee McCarren, Managing Director of Domis Construction, added: “We’re proud to have completed the tallest tower in Salford Quays well ahead of time and that achievement is down to the dedication and commitment of our superb team working in close collaboration with Cole Waterhouse and Taurus. “The team developed an incredible bond during the delivery of this prestigious scheme, taking a real partnership approach, with flexibility and trust shown on all sides. This is our second highly successful project with Cole Waterhouse and Eda will be a fantastic addition to the residential offer in Salford.” Eda is Cole Waterhouse and Taurus’ first joint BTR targeted development in the UK. The entire project team celebrated the delivery and handover of the building with an on-site event on 31st August which saw the unveiling of a specially commissioned plaque to celebrate the roles of all the project partners. Eda residents will benefit from access to biodiverse green spaces, including two landscaped terrace gardens on the mezzanine and level 19, plus private terraces for each rooftop penthouse apartment. Built with integrated energy-efficient design principles in mind, Eda uses high grade insulation for a thermally efficient construction with low air permeability, energy-efficient appliances, LED lighting to minimise energy consumption and reduce utility costs for residents, as well as MVHR systems to reduce heating loads. The development is close to Anchorage Metrolink station and local bus routes to encourage public transport use. Bicycle storage and EV chargers are also available to residents. At ground level there is 4,000 sq ft of commercial space already pre-let to Co-op Food, as well as extensive areas of internal amenity including a co-working space, residents’ lounges, cinema room, bookable private dining and entertaining facilities along with a fully equipped gym and a dedicated on-site concierge and management team. The Eda delivery team also includes Jon Matthews Architects as delivery architect, WSP Planning, structural engineers Renaissance, M&E consultants Novo, landscape architects Exterior Architecture, project managers/quantity surveying services by Henry Riley, Project Four Safety Solutions providing CDM and Principal Designer services with legal advice from Ward Hadaway. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading East Midlands Homebuilder, Fairgrove, is aiming to attract new recruits to its existing workforce as the country’s demand for housing continues to grow amidst an ongoing and entrenched labour shortage. The family-run homebuilder currently has three development projects under way, which include the Brewery Yard and Nine Corners in Kimberley, Notts as well as Swanwick Fields in Alfreton, Derbyshire. To support school leavers and help ease the current skills shortage in the sector, Fairgrove invests in the next generation of construction industry workers through its apprenticeship programme that it runs each year, which provides recruits with industry standard qualifications and experience. It isn’t just apprentices and school leavers who Fairgrove is recruiting. Fairgrove’s Trainee Site Manager, Will Brownett, is passionate about the sector and believes it is a rewarding industry to get involved in. He currently focuses on running the homebuilder’s different sites and maintaining the company’s high standard of work, alongside ensuring that all trades are lined up and that his team have the materials required for upcoming projects. Will said: “I started my career by working in the finance industry for five years, but then decided I wanted more, and was interested in trying something new, which is when I took a risk and became an Assistant Site Manager at Fairgrove. “After working here for over a year and progressing in my role, I have found the pay rate to be a good one, and that the construction industry is a hugely rewarding area to work within. The process of seeing a house come together into a finished product is a great feeling, and I’m proud that I can drive past these properties in the future and tell my friends and family that I worked on them. It makes all those stressful moments on the job really mean something.” According to new research from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), at least 225,000 additional workers are required by 2027 to meet demand, with the Government’s long held ambition of delivering 300,000 homes per year by the mid 2020’s seeming difficult without urgent action. Construction workers were also recently added to the Government’s ‘Shortage Occupation list’, which makes it easier for builders from abroad to apply for a working visa to help ease the skills shortage. According to Randstad, the construction industry is one of the highest paying sectors in the UK, with an average salary of £45,000, 33% higher than the national average. Will continued: “My favourite part about working at Fairgrove is that every day is different; the job never becomes mundane, and it keeps you on your toes which is an important highlight. The amount of progression in the industry is also appealing as there is so much opportunity to grow, which gives you something to work towards. I hope to become a fully qualified site manager and then continue to progress higher throughout the ranks. “With the skills shortages at the moment, there is so much work available and we are always open to taking on new recruits.” Managing Director at Fairgrove, Steve Midgley, added: “Will has become a valued member of the team since he joined us and we would encourage more people to make that career change if they are interested in getting involved in the industry, especially with the challenges the housing sector is currently facing. We look forward to seeing how Will progresses and develops in his career at Fairgrove.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Housebuilder The Hill Group has announced the acquisition of a 17-acre site for residential development in the picturesque village of Fulbourn, Cambridgeshire, to deliver 110 high-quality new homes for the local area. With a strong reputation for sustainable redevelopment across Cambridgeshire, Hill will provide a wide range of attractive, energy-efficient homes surrounded by landscaped open green space. Nestled among mature trees, the development will incorporate linear and meadow parks, further enhancing the natural beauty of the area. Hill is working with an independent ecologist to ensure the sensitive management of the site to preserve its biodiversity. The development will include a children’s play area and a network of footpaths and cycle lanes to connect residents with local amenities. Andy Hill OBE, Group Chief Executive at The Hill Group, commented: “This remarkable site represents an excellent opportunity to protect and enhance the scenic natural environment. Having successfully delivered similar developments across Cambridge and throughout the South East of England, we look forward to applying our experience to deliver sustainable new homes in this highly sought-after location.” Situated north of Cow Lane and close to a variety of essential amenities, such as high-performing schools, shops, and Addenbrooke’s Hospital, the development will be designed to reflect the existing architectural vernacular of this popular village. This collection of new homes will include two-bedroom apartments and two to five-bedroom terraced, semi-detached, and detached houses for private sale. Affordable housing will include one, two, and three-bedroom apartments and two-bedroom houses available through shared ownership and affordable rent. Residents will have access to cycle storage, and each of the houses will benefit from a private garden. In keeping with Hill’s impressive track record for sustainable development, each of the properties will utilise a range of energy-efficient features, including air source heat pumps and underfloor heating. The Fulbourn site will continue Hill’s expertise in delivering high-quality, community-focused new homes within the Cambridge area. Other developments in the area include Marleigh, a flagship development proudly delivered in partnership with Marshall LLP on the eastern edge of Cambridge, and the award-winning, highly sustainable Knights Park development in Eddington. Hill also has a successful investment partnership with Cambridge City Council to deliver a programme of housing developments across the city, with over 1,000 homes either delivered or currently underway. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Far East Consortium (FEC) has secured planning permission for the next phase of their Red Bank Scheme, a joint venture project with Manchester City Council’s Victoria North. Passed by Manchester City Council’s planning committee on August 31st, the approval helps to unlock FEC’s ambitions to deliver up to 4,800 new homes in the emerging Red Bank neighbourhood across a range of tenure types and sizes, including affordable homes. The first, an outline planning application, is for the delivery of up to 3,250 homes and more than 160,000 sq ft of non-residential floor space to be earmarked for commercial uses, a health centre, primary school, residential amenities and community spaces. This will be accompanied by the creation of new public realm with extensive areas of landscaping, greenspace and wetlands, supporting a minimum 10% biodiversity net gain across the neighbourhood. The second approval is for a full planning application for FEC’s next phase of delivery on the three plots adjacent to the 634-home Victoria Riverside scheme, which is currently under construction. This will see the delivery of seven buildings varying in height between six and 34 storeys and comprising 1,550 homes, as well as a new high street that will include 20,000 sq ft of commercial and retail space earmarked for local independent businesses. The homes will comprise a mix of one, two and three-bed apartments and townhouses catering for a diverse mix of homes including build to rent (BTR), affordable and open market sale. Both planning submissions were centred on the Wild Urbanism concept, which prioritises green space, biodiversity, active travel and public realm as part of the city centre living experience, placing sustainable living at the forefront of the project. The buildings within the masterplan will be delivered to a high sustainability standard which will include the installation of solar panels, heat pumps and green and brown roofs. The masterplan and outline application proposals were developed in partnership with masterplanner Maccreanor Lavington and Copenhagen-based public realm specialist, Schulze+Grassov with support from local practice OP-EN and sustainability experts Useful Projects. The full application was created by Maccreanor Lavington in collaboration with Manchester-based practice Hawkins/Brown. Red Bank is one of the first of seven neighbourhoods being regenerated as part of the £4bn Victoria North project, which is one the largest in the UK and will create 15,000 new homes over the next decade. Hilary Brett, project director at FEC, said: “Red Bank is one of the most under-used areas in Manchester, but its proximity to the city centre and the existing natural assets of the River Irk and St Catherine’s Wood make it the ideal location for a thriving new neighbourhood. “We are delighted to have received approval and want to thank everyone who has been involved and supported the project to get us to this point. We’re excited to move forward with our next phases of delivery.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Bellway is set to start demolition works on the site of a former brickworks and council depot in Midhurst which will be transformed into an attractive development of new sustainable homes. There will be 69 homes at Thornley Grange, off Bepton Road in the West Sussex town. The northern part of the site was a brickworks from 1913 to 1985 and has remained as industrial land, with the southern part of the site used as a West Sussex County Council depot. Bellway purchased the land earlier this month (August) with full planning consent already in place. The new community has been designed to complement the neighbouring woodland at Midhurst Common. The development will feature a central green copse area and existing mature trees will be protected and enhanced. Bellway has paid £100,000 to improve Midhurst Common and a further £12,660 to enhance wildlife habitats ahead of starting work on the site in September. Matt Hoad, Land and Planning Director for Bellway South London, said: “Thornley Grange will enhance this area of the South Downs National Park, replacing derelict industrial buildings with a sustainable new development. “The homes have been designed to reflect the architecture of buildings in Midhurst, including the many listed properties. This has created some intricate detailing within the elevations of the various house types. “In addition to funding enhancements to the nearby woodland, Thornley Grange will help to satisfy the need for more new homes in this sought-after town. “Demolition works will begin in the coming weeks and we look forward to creating an outlook that is much more fitting with these stunning surroundings than the industrial buildings which Thornley Grange will replace.” Bellway will build 44 homes for private sale, which will be two, three and four-bedroom houses. There will be 25 affordable homes, including one and two-bedroom apartments for low-cost rent and two and three-bedroom houses for shared ownership. The homes will feature electrical car charging points to encourage sustainable transport. There will also be a ‘Hedgehog Highways’ scheme, creating routes for hedgehogs to travel between gardens alongside bird, bat and dormouse boxes and wildlife habitats to enhance biodiversity at the development. Bellway South London has invested in communities across West Sussex, with work currently progressing on new homes developments at Indigo Park in Chichester, Elizabeth Square in Goring-by-Sea, Riverbrook Place in Crawley, Abingworth Fields in Thakeham, and Fallow Wood View in Burgess Hill. For more information see https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/south-london. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Midlands-based homebuilder Spitfire Homes has secured planning permission for 371 homes across the Midlands in just one week. Leading the plans is a 280-home scheme in Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, along with a further 61 properties located at a former Sandvik HQ in Halesowen, Dudley, and a collection of 30 new homes in the Worcestershire village of Crowle. This latest success showcases Spitfire’s continued investment in the region, strengthening its pipeline of homes, meeting the demand from a range of buyers for quality, sustainable properties in the Midlands, and also supporting the employment of 1,150 people*. Despite the recent announcements, Ben Leather, Managing Director at Spitfire Homes, says the process of securing planning permission has been an extremely difficult and drawn-out process. “Despite our recent planning success, as an SME housebuilder we experience significant struggles with the current planning system on a daily basis – something that is felt throughout the industry. “Reserved Matters permission for one of these developments took almost 12 months to secure, despite being an allocated site in the Local Plan with Outline Permission already in place, and no objections from any statutory consultees. Another development on a brownfield site was challenged by unjustified design and highways requests, whilst staffing changes within the planning department further slowed the process which took over a year. “These are just some recent examples of how the current system prevents housebuilders from delivering homes that are needed in strategic locations within acceptable timeframes.” Housing Secretary Micheal Gove recently set out new measures that he hopes will unblock the planning system and enable the building of more homes in the right places where there is local consent. Developers will be asked to contribute more through fees, to help support a higher-quality, more efficient planning service, but Leather doesn’t think the changes go far enough to provide a deliverable mix of homes, of all tenures, to solve England’s housing crisis. “We support the principle of paying higher planning fees if it means Local Planning Authorities spend those additional fees on increasing the resources within their teams and it isn’t diverted to other Council departments. “With increases in interest rates, the cost for SME housebuilders to put sites on hold whilst waiting for planning approvals can be crippling for small businesses, so this change is absolutely essential to promote the future success of these businesses and ensure their continued contribution to the economy. “The recent Save Our SMEs campaign championed by the HBF further demonstrated the sentiment from housebuilders similar to Spitfire Homes, with 166 businesses signing the open letter to Government in response to recent policy amendments which remove the requirement for mandatory local housing targets, further throttling the amount of planning permissions granted for new homes. It’s vital housing targets are reinstated and are not reliant on conversion of commercial and agricultural buildings to provide more homes as advocated by Gove. “Increasing the quality and level of resource within the planning system is a significant step forward in the delivery of much-needed new homes.” To find out more about Spitfire Homes, please visit https://spitfirehomes.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Regional housebuilder Beal Homes has secured full planning permission to complete a £210m development in one of Yorkshire’s fastest-growing towns. The planning approval from East Riding of Yorkshire Council is for 600 homes, giving the green light for Beal to continue to deliver The Greenways in Goole. The Greenways is Beal’s largest-ever development, ultimately extending to 806 properties, and the biggest housing scheme in the East Yorkshire town for decades. The development is on a 73-acre site equivalent to almost 50 football pitches off Rawcliffe Road in Goole. Beal has now sold more than 180 homes at The Greenways, with continuing strong demand from a wide range of househunters. Many buyers been local people achieving their dream of owning a high-quality new home in their home town, as the Beal investment is addressing a shortage of new-build properties in Goole. The Greenways is a key element of an ongoing wave of investment in Goole, including a £200m-plus rail village being developed by Siemens Mobility and a worldwide distribution hub for FTSE 100 company Croda, which are creating hundreds of highly-skilled jobs in the town. Beal Chief Executive Richard Beal said: “We identified the rich potential of Goole many years ago now, as well as a pent-up demand for high-quality new homes in the town. “The strong sales we have achieved and the continuing high demand we are seeing at The Greenways has justified our confidence. “We’re now pleased to have secured full planning permission to continue our long-term investment and the critical contribution we’re making to Goole’s remarkable rejuvenation.” The 600 homes that have now received full planning consent will comprise a selection of East Yorkshire-based Beal’s most popular two, three and four-bedroom properties. Beal Land Director Chris Murphy said: “The Greenways has transformed the quality and variety of housing in Goole, providing luxury, contemporary homes for local residents as well as attracting new people to the town. “As the largest single development in our company’s history, securing full planning permission for the remainder of The Greenways marks another significant milestone in our delivery of this long-term scheme. “It builds on our proud history of delivering high-quality developments that enhance local communities, provide desirable places to live, and support economic growth.” The Greenways is playing a major role in the regeneration of Goole. Over the course of the development, Beal’s investment will secure the employment of almost 2,500 people in construction and related roles and in the local community. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A new site manager has won a coveted industry accolade just a year into the job, aged just 26.Ben Taylor, from Sutton Coldfield, was appointed site manager at Bellway West Midlands’ Green Oaks development in Hednesford last year. This time spent learning the job has now paid off, with Ben – who started as an apprentice carpenter after leaving school – being named as a winner of the National House Building Council’s Pride in the Job Quality Award. He is one of just 444 site managers chosen from around 8,000 across the UK to be recognised in the competition. Ben said: “Hopefully this will be the first of many awards I can win as I lead the site team here at Green Oaks. Sheer hard work, long hours and persistence has led me to achieve this award. It’s been the highlight of my career so far.” Focusing on the needs of customers has been a key part of Ben’s success at Green Oaks, where around 60 per cent of the 74 homes have now been built. “I think one of the best parts of the job is getting good feedback from the customers through survey feedback,” Ben said. “We want customers to benefit from the quality of houses we build so it’s always important to have their needs in mind, even when we’ve just started building and houses haven’t gone on sale yet.“Green Oaks was one of the first Bellway sites to roll out Google Nest products and customers love this technology in their home. Many mention how it is user-friendly and easy-to-use in their survey feedback.“It’s been an absolute privilege to lead the team here at Green Oaks and deliver state-of-the-art and progressive homes. This Quality Award motivates me even more to complete the development to the best of my ability while continuously improving my skillset as a site manager.” Ben also hopes his early career success might inspire others to follow his path into the construction industry, where he says he benefitted enormously from learning from others on site.He said: “I worked for Bellway in assistant roles for four years so I have got to shadow other site managers leading various trade teams and got to know my colleagues. I grew in this role and that helped me to carve my own path and make the site manager role my own. “I now manage 60 to 70 people on site. I’d had experience leading teams before so this aspect of the job didn’t overwhelm me – I just ran with it. I’m fortunate enough to work with an amazing team.“I hope to inspire those at school or college who are considering a career in construction that you can achieve so much in such a short space of time and progress really quickly. You don’t necessarily have to be in construction for over 10 years to win accolades.” Ben is one of four Bellway West Midlands site managers to win Quality Awards this year. The others are Lee Aston, from Cecilly Mills in Cheadle, Paul Edwards, from The Spinney in Shrewsbury, and Jamie Smith, from Hatton Court in Hatton, Derbyshire. To find out more about the new homes being built by Bellway West Midlands’ award-winning site managers, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/west-midlands, while for more information about careers with Bellway, visit https://www.bellwaycareers.co.uk/. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
