BDC

Search
Linkedin
BDC Magazine

NHBC

Apprentices tackling national skills gap and housing shortage recognised by Britain’s fastest bricklayer at NHBC apprenticeship graduation in Milton Keynes

Apprentices tackling national skills gap and housing shortage recognised by Britain’s fastest bricklayer at NHBC apprenticeship graduation in Milton Keynes

BDC News Team February 19, 2024

The UK’s fastest bricklayer has praised the talents of more than one hundred apprentices at the National House Building Council’s (NHBC) latest graduation ceremony in Milton Keynes. Held at the UK’s leading warranty and insurance providers NHBC Headquarters in Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, on Friday 16 February 2024, YouTube sensation and

Read More »
Building opportunities to tackle skills shortage

Building opportunities to tackle skills shortage

BDC News Team February 13, 2024

A partnership responsible for transforming Newcastle’s West End, is providing the opportunity for local developers and contractors to support an initiative, which is tackling the construction skills shortage. New Tyne West Development Company (NTWDC) – a partnership between Keepmoat, and Newcastle City Council – is hosting open days with The

Read More »

Harron Homes celebrates another double NHBC win

Kenneth Booth July 1, 2022

Harron Homes is celebrating two winners of the National House Building Council (NHBC) 2022 Pride in the Job awards. Both 26 year-old Zak Green based at The Hawthornes development in Carlton and Niall Gibson, 30, who works at Thoresby Vale in Edwinstowe were recognised by the NHBC, the UK’s leading

Read More »

An Epic Era for the Ballymore Business

Cristina Diaconu October 1, 2018

Ballymore continues to be celebrated for its pioneering approach to creating places where people live and thrive. Putting quality of life and a rooted connection to arts and culture at the core of the business, Ballymore take great seriousness in their role as a place maker. Standing proudly as one

Read More »

NHBC Award Winning Family Owned Luxury Home Developer Bentier Homes

BDC News Team February 19, 2018

A family owned organisation with a longstanding history of both designing and building luxury homes, Bentier Homes operates out of its Reading head office and provides a leading service for the planning, designing, and creating of exclusive luxury housing developments for resale. Not just looking to build houses, but instead

Read More »

Latest Issue

BDC 319 : Aug 2024

NHBC

Apprentices tackling national skills gap and housing shortage recognised by Britain’s fastest bricklayer at NHBC apprenticeship graduation in Milton Keynes

Apprentices tackling national skills gap and housing shortage recognised by Britain’s fastest bricklayer at NHBC apprenticeship graduation in Milton Keynes

BDC News Team February 19, 2024

The UK’s fastest bricklayer has praised the talents of more than one hundred apprentices at the National House Building Council’s (NHBC) latest graduation ceremony in Milton Keynes. Held at the UK’s leading warranty and insurance providers NHBC Headquarters in Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, on Friday 16 February 2024, YouTube sensation and Super Trowels Bricklaying Competition winner, Charlie Collison, said apprentices are key to the housing industry’s future and urged more people to consider a career in the sector. “What NHBC and its national network of bricklaying hubs is achieving is vital if we’re going to close the skills gap and housing shortage we are facing,” Charlie said. “Each NHBC Training Hub across the country is enabling 100 apprentices to be trained by experienced tutors each year, enabling house builders to create a flow of new talent onto sites. It’s a great start to begin to address the skills gap in house building, the impact of which cannot be underestimated. The research is showing the need for an additional 225,000 construction workers in the UK by 2027 – that’s a staggering 45,000 per year. “When this is considered alongside recent reports that builders are struggling to recruit bricklayers, it becomes clear just how important it is for the house-building industry to attract more people from all backgrounds to bricklaying. It also highlights how significant it is to have so many accomplished bricklayers here with us today,” Charlie said. Amongst those recognised was Jack Hart, 17, Leicestershire, bricklaying apprentice who trained at NHBC’s Training Hub in Tamworth. Jack, who passed with a distinction was today awarded NHBC Apprentice Bricklayer of the Year. Jack said a career in the housing industry offers so many opportunities. “Training at the NHBC Training Hub, meant I had leading experts teaching me real on-site experience from just five weeks in and my apprenticeship was completed in just 18 months. That’s a standout difference compared to 30 months which it can take through more traditional routes,” said Jack. “I would recommend an apprenticeship at one of NHBC’s Training Hubs as it’s a great way to learn. I’ve not only gained bricklaying skills, but I’ve expanded my people skills and learnt a lot about communication. I knew I wanted to learn about bricklaying so the opportunity to do this while also still earning money was really attractive to me. People are often surprised to learn the average bricklayer earns 50 thousand pounds a year. An apprenticeship in bricklaying is a pathway to a really well-paid and greatly varied career in the housebuilding industry. I’d encourage everyone to consider it. Since becoming a registered apprenticeship provider in 2020, around 450 people have progressed through NHBC’s Bricklaying Training Hubs. Also recognised at the ceremony were students studying with NHBC for apprenticeships in Construction Site Supervision and various other housebuilding roles. Stephanie Black, 23, Northampton, was awarded NHBC’s Construction Site Supervisor Apprentice of the Year. Stephanie said: “An apprenticeship in house building is for everyone!” We must attract the widest pool of talent and people from all backgrounds to take up an apprenticeship in the house-building industry to help address the nationwide skills gap and housing shortage. I took on such a varied, interesting and demanding apprenticeship, and have gained such extensive knowledge and expertise in a wide variety of topics. I’m looking forward to what I hope to be a great career ahead which offers many opportunities and makes a real difference.” Darryl Stewart, responsible for NHBC’s apprentice training programme and training hubs, said, it’s encouraging to see people entering a career in housebuilding but there’s still more to do. “In recent years, house builders have found it more challenging to recruit people for a range of reasons. It’s an industry which is facing an ageing workforce and has been seen as a career path mainly for men.  This means we must continue to find ways to encourage people from all walks of life to join the sector as it offers a fantastic range of careers and an apprenticeship in the house-building industry is a pathway into a rewarding and well-paid career that can make a real difference. “At NHBC, our apprenticeships and training programmes and our growing network of national NHBC Training Hubs, are getting more people started in the industry and helping to close the skills gap by training the next generation of house builders. Our house-building apprenticeships are an excellent alternative to the more traditional educational routes with our courses designed with input from across the industry and leading experts. It’s fantastic to see this latest cohort today of over 100 apprentices being equipped with skills for life which they can take forward and use to build high-quality new homes. NHBC’s apprenticeships are for everyone and we’re delighted to see people from all backgrounds coming through, including women, career changers, diverse cultures and school leavers wanting to work in house building. It’s never too late to learn a new skill!” Darryl said. For more information about NHBC’s apprenticeships, visit Apprenticeships | NHBC Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Read More »
Building opportunities to tackle skills shortage

Building opportunities to tackle skills shortage

BDC News Team February 13, 2024

A partnership responsible for transforming Newcastle’s West End, is providing the opportunity for local developers and contractors to support an initiative, which is tackling the construction skills shortage. New Tyne West Development Company (NTWDC) – a partnership between Keepmoat, and Newcastle City Council – is hosting open days with The National Housebuilding Council (NHBC), at the NHBC Training Hub, at The Rise development in Scotswood – addressing the national shortage of bricklayers. The state of the art NHBC Training Hub is a partnership between NHBC and Keepmoat. It can support up to 100 apprentices annually to gain a Level Two Apprenticeship Qualification in bricklaying which is taught at the hub and applied onsite in collaboration with housebuilders. Held over two mornings – 22nd and 23rd February between 9am to 12 midday – attendees will be given the opportunity to tour the NHBC Training Hub, speak to apprentices, the expert trainers  and find out more about the programme and how it can help upskill and increase their workforce. Within the last year, NTWDC’s build partner, Keepmoat, has supported over 30 apprentices, completing their apprenticeship at the NHBC Training Hub, with two enjoying work placements on The Rise.  The partnership it is committed to employing 75 apprentices over the lifetime of the development. Geoff Scott, Social Value Manager at Keepmoat North East, said: “At Keepmoat we prioritise our responsibility to train, educate and support our staff. We encourage all developers and contractors to play their part in building the next generation of construction workers. “It has been a privilege to welcome the NHBC Training Hub to NTWDC’s The Rise – the first facility of its kind in the region. Keepmoat’s commitment and passion in providing local jobs for local people has already seen the programme support over 30 bricklaying apprentices. We are confident that if other developers and contractors make use of this initiative, we could see a significant increase in qualified bricklayers in the North East.” Jake McDougal, 17, from Kenton is an apprentice at the NHBC Training Hub and working on The Rise, he added: “I am really enjoying my training as it is a good mix of theory and practical hands-on experience as well as being able to work as part of an experienced site team.” Darryl Stewart, responsible for NHBC’s apprentice training programme and hubs, commented: “This is an excellent opportunity to find out more about what the NHBC Training Hub offers. Bricklaying is at the heart of house building and is a hugely important skill. Our apprenticeships are for everyone, and the training hub is a key component of NHBC’s ongoing commitment to supporting the next generation of house builders and equipping them with the skills to build high-quality new homes. “The NHBC Training Hub offers a realistic work environment and we’re seeing apprentices completing their training in just 14 months – many with distinctions. It’s a standout difference from the 30-month timescale more traditional learning routes take. An apprenticeship in the house-building industry is a pathway into a range of rewarding and well-paid careers that can make a real difference to the available future workforce. I’d encourage everyone to come along.” Established in 2013 to breathe new life into the west of the city through a £265 million, housing led regeneration programme, since building began more than 550 homes have been completed. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Read More »
'Six Bellway Northern Home Counties site managers received coveted housebuilding awards'

‘Six Bellway Northern Home Counties site managers received coveted housebuilding awards’

BDC News Team August 29, 2023

Six Bellway Northern Home Counties site managers have been recognised for their high standards by being awarded a prestigious industry accolade. Cymon Robinson, Dan St Hilaire, Josh Croxford, Martin Elderton, Michael Crake and Ross Jenkins are among just 444 site managers from across the country to receive a Quality Award this year in the National House Building Council’s (NHBC) annual Pride in the Job competition. The six colleagues work for Bellway’s Northern Home Counties division, whose head office is in Milton Keynes, and are based at developments in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire.They were selected from a pool of more than 8,000 site managers whose sites have been inspected by the NHBC over the past year, placing them among an elite group within the industry. Pride in the Job was launched over 40 years ago and has since become one of the most prestigious competitions in the construction sector. For Michael Crake, senior site manager at Chamberlains Bridge in Leighton Buzzard, this is the first Quality Award he has won in his 22-year career in the industry – and comes during his first year with Bellway. The 40-year-old, who lives in Aylesbury, said: “It’s great to be commended for all our hard work and I am happy the team have got the recognition they deserved. Chamberlains Bridge is a good site to be a part of, with a desirable layout and great team. Everyone does their bit to ensure a smooth and efficient construction process. “This is most definitely a career highlight for me. The team and I have built a lot of homes at quite a pace, so this Quality Award shows that we’re doing things right.” Two of the award-winning site managers work at neighbouring developments on a dual-branded site in New Cardington, Bedford. Dan St Hilaire is based at Bellway’s New Cardington Fields development, while Josh Croxford is in charge at New Cardington Gate, a development being built under Bellway’s Ashberry Homes brand. Dan, 36, who lives in Bedford, joined Bellway in March last year, after moving into the construction industry following a career in the military and stints training as a gas engineer and working in security.He said: “It was amazing to receive the email from the NHBC telling me that I had won the Quality Award. I was on site at the time and went round thanking every member of the team for helping me achieve this incredible accolade, as it is very much a collaborative effort. “I am very grateful to Bellway for taking a chance on me and supporting me as site manager at New Cardington Fields and I am glad I was able to repay that faith. This is my first development as site manager, and to win this award is very gratifying and motivating.” Josh, 31, who lives in Northampton, has now won three Quality Awards, including two in successive years at New Cardington Gate. After serving in the Royal Marines, Josh entered the construction industry as a trainee site manager five-and-a-half years ago, joining Bellway in early 2021 as a senior site manager.He said: “I feel really pleased with this win, a third for me and a second in a row for this development. As Northern Home Counties’ first dual-brand site, to attain this achievement for two years in a row is validation of the graft put in by the whole team. “I would most definitely consider this win a career highlight to date. Winning three consecutive NHBC Quality Awards reaffirms that I am doing a good job and the fact our efforts have been recognised by an external body means a lot.” Cymon, 45, who lives in Northampton, has won his second successive Quality Award for his work at Wavendon View in Milton Keynes. He has been in the industry for over 20 years, including seven-and-a-half years with Bellway. He said: “I feel pleased to win this award on behalf of all those working with me onsite. My approach to work has always been to build every home as if it was my own. As we come towards the end of construction here at Wavendon View, the fact we have won for two years in a row is proof of the consistency that has enabled us to deliver five-star quality houses.” Ross Jenkins, 36, from Northampton, has achieved a long-held career ambition by winning his first Quality Award in recognition of his work at Hawthorn Place in Wellingborough. He said: “Receiving the news was incredible. To receive the acknowledgement for all the hard work my team and I have put in here at Hawthorn Place has really given us all great satisfaction. “I had set myself the target of winning a Quality Award from the start of the job so to achieve it was really rewarding. To receive a Pride in the Job is incredible and to do it on my first site as a site manager really is a huge achievement for me.” Martin Elderton, 39 from Higham Ferrers has been awarded for his work at Chestnut Vale in Wellingborough. Martin said: “Winning this award is a great achievement that all Site Managers strive to win. This is a first PIJ for me so receiving that email congratulating you is amazing. We work hard to produce homes for our customers that we can be proud of, so to receive recognition like this, is great. “This can only be achieved with a strong team around you that have the same goal. Bellway have helped support us in doing so, moving forward, I wish to win many more!” Iain Hunter, Construction Director for Bellway Northern Home Counties, said: “Quality is at the heart of everything we do at Bellway, so as a division it’s a real achievement to have six Pride in the Job award-winning site managers. I’d like to congratulate Cymon, Dan, Josh, Martin, Michael and Ross and all their teams for working together and putting their wholehearted efforts into delivering exceptional homes at our developments in Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire

Read More »
Pride in the Job: UK’s best site managers awarded national accolade for house building quality

UK’s best site managers awarded national accolade for house building quality

BDC News Team June 16, 2023

The best Site Managers across the UK are being recognised for their proven dedication and making a mark after winning a top house building award. The National House Building Council (NHBC) has announced its Pride in the Job 2023 Quality Award winners which celebrates the very best UK site managers and their commitment to raising standards in house building. Running for 43 years, the accolade which is awarded by the UK’s leading new homes warranty and insurance provider, is the most highly regarded in the house-building industry and a prestigious benchmark for exceptional site managers. With only 444 winners selected out of over 8,000 entrants across the UK, the recipients are among the country’s best house builders. Commenting on the awards, Steve Wood, CEO at NHBC said: “Congratulations to all the winners who should feel proud to have received a Pride in the Job Award. Pride in the Job is firmly at the heart of NHBC’s mission to raise standards in the house-building industry. It is important we recognise the vital role site managers play in ensuring new homes are delivered on time, on safe sites and to exacting construction quality standards. This accolade recognises the best site managers across the UK and celebrates how much all the winners have inspired their teams by going the extra mile to deliver homes of the highest quality.” Judging for the awards is rigorous, with the current competition beginning in July last year. Each site manager is assessed across six key areas: consistency, attention to detail, leadership, interpretation of drawings and specifications, technical expertise and health and safety. Thousands of site inspections and meticulous scoring and verifications have taken place to decide the winning site managers. The flagship competition has three categories for different sized businesses: small, medium and large house builders, plus a multi-storey category where site managers are working on projects up to seven storeys for multiple occupancy and finally the high-rise category for multiple occupancy projects over seven storeys.  The Quality Award winners will now go on to compete for Seal of Excellence and Regional Awards in the autumn, with the national Supreme Award winners unveiled in January 2024. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals 

Read More »
Barratt Developments’ Kirk Raine crowned NHBC Pride in the Job Supreme winner

Barratt Developments’ Kirk Raine crowned NHBC Pride in the Job Supreme winner

BDC News Team April 12, 2023

Barratt Developments’ Kirk Raine has been named the Supreme winner at this year’s NHBC Pride in the Job Awards. Kirk was named as the Supreme winner in the Large Builder Category for his work managing The Grove at Doseley Park, near Telford. The NHBC Pride in the Job Awards are known as the ‘Oscars of the housebuilding industry’, and to win the Supreme award is to be recognised by the NHBC as the best site manager in the country. This is the sixth time that a Barratt site manager has won the Supreme award in the past eight years. It is also the third time that Kirk has won the award, making him the biggest winner of this prestigious title over the last decade. Kirk was also runner-up five years ago. This year Barratt had 98 of its site managers win a Pride in the Job Quality Award – more than any other housebuilder for a phenomenal 18 years in a row. On top of that five of those winners went on to be named as a Regional winner, with 34 earning coveted Seals of Excellence. The success at the Pride in the Job Quality Awards underlines the commitment Barratt has to delivering high quality homes, and the standard of work that its site teams deliver day-in and day-out, putting the customer at the heart of everything it does. Steven Boyes, chief operating officer at Barratt Developments, said: “We put great store in the NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Awards, as they showcase what building homes is all about – the highest standards of excellence and quality for our customers. For Kirk to win the Supreme award again for a third time is an incredible achievement, and one everyone at Barratt should be proud of.” To mark this achievement and to celebrate the work of all of its site managers, Barratt is making a donation of £25,000 to The Lighthouse Club. This charity is the only one to provide mental, physical and financial wellbeing support to all those working within the construction industry and their families. Barratt has supported The Lighthouse Club for a number of years and, since awarding a £50,000 grant last year, the charity has also been an official partner of the Barratt Foundation. This is in recognition of the value of the support that the charity provides to people throughout the housebuilding industry. Commenting on the Awards, NHBC Chief Executive Steve Wood said: “At NHBC we believe that the calibre of the site manager and the way they inspire their site team has the greatest influence on the quality of the finished home. By promoting friendly rivalry, showcasing best practice and rewarding excellence, Pride in the Job supports the delivery of homes of the highest quality. “Congratulations to all the 2022 Pride in the Job Award winners. The role of the site manager is more demanding than ever, with new methods of construction, new technologies and an increased pace of regulatory change. They are an inspiration to us all and should be very proud of the quality of new homes they are creating.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals 

Read More »

Harron Homes celebrates another double NHBC win

Kenneth Booth July 1, 2022

Harron Homes is celebrating two winners of the National House Building Council (NHBC) 2022 Pride in the Job awards. Both 26 year-old Zak Green based at The Hawthornes development in Carlton and Niall Gibson, 30, who works at Thoresby Vale in Edwinstowe were recognised by the NHBC, the UK’s leading home warranty and insurance provider. Its flagship Pride in the Job award is one of the most highly regarded competitions in the industry, showcasing best practice and rewarding excellence. This isn’t the first time Zak’s hard work has been recognised since he started his construction career as an apprentice bricklayer in 2012. The Barnsley local won Apprentice of the Year 2015/16, as well as Assistant Site Manager of the Year in 2018. Zak has been aiming for an NHBC award since he joined the Harron team as Site Manager at its Kings Croft development in Killinghall near Harrogate, in 2020. Zak commented, “I’m over the moon to receive this award! In every job I’ve made it my mission to go above and beyond to create homes of the best quality and that effort is definitely paying off. Of course I couldn’t do it without the brilliant team around me. Everyone on site cares about the quality they are producing on a daily basis, especially my assistant site manager, Simon Giles, and I’m grateful for their hard work and support every day.” Niall started out his career in building maintenance before joining Harron as Assistant Site Manager at Heritage Green in Chesterfield three and a half years ago.  In 2020, he joined Thoresby Vale as Assistant Site Manager and within the year he had been promoted to Site Manager. This award comes just a year into his new role. He follows hot on the heels of the development’s previous Site Manager, David Mills, who also won the Pride in the Job Award and went further in the competition to win a Seal of Excellence award. Niall said “This award means the world. I’m absolutely delighted. So much heart and soul has gone into this job and to see that recognised within my first year of being Site Manager feels incredible. “I’ve found working with Harron very enjoyable, it’s a great place to work with a great group of people. I’ve been supported by my fantastic Assistant Site Manager, Simon Noone, who has put in amazing work. I wouldn’t have achieved this without him.” Ian Pendlebury, Group Managing Director said, “We’re very proud of both Niall and Zak. It’s great to see that all the hard work and effort put in by both site teams has been recognised and rewarded with a highly contested and prestigious Pride in the Job award.” NHBC Chief Executive Steve Wood said: “For more than 40 years, Pride in the Job has been an important part of our work to help drive construction quality. Winning Site Managers tell us that it inspires them to give a little extra and to strive harder for ever-higher standards of house building. “Congratulations to all the 2022 Pride in the Job Quality Award winners. They are an inspiration to us all and should be very proud of the quality of new homes they are creating.” For more information on Harron Homes visit: https://www.harronhomes.com/

Read More »

Linden Homes Site Manager Is Awarded Prestigious NHBC Pride In The Job Award For A Second Time

Kenneth Booth September 3, 2021

Linden Homes’ Minerva Heights Site Manager Lewis Little has been awarded a second NHBC annual Pride in the Job Award, which celebrates the unique role site managers play in crafting homes of outstanding quality. This is the second time Lewis has been awarded the national accolade, after previously winning the award for his work at Linden Homes’ Kilnhurst Gardens development in Verwood, which demonstrates his ongoing commitment to his work and overall professionalism. Lewis (31) has been selected from a pool of more than 10,000 as one of the 450 site managers to win the Quality Award which is the first category of the NHBC’s Pride in the Job Award 2021. This year’s winners have been chosen following a thorough assessment of the skills demonstrated on site including consistency, leadership, attention to detail, interpretation of drawings and specifications, technical expertise and health and safety. Through delivering this annual award to the very best site managers in the UK the NHBC promotes the important role that the job entails, providing new homes that are delivered on time, on safe sites and to the highest quality standards. Lewis joined Linden Homes in 2016 and has managed the successful Minerva Heights development since August 2020. Lewis commented: “I am absolutely over the moon for the site team and all the contractors at Minerva Heights to win the Pride in the Job award. It is hugely deserved by all involved and this project has been a pleasure to run from the start. Our focus has been to deliver a 5-star quality to our customers and to win the NHBC Pride in the Job award along with that is the icing on the cake. Thank you to all involved.” Steve Ott, Construction Director for Vistry Southern, commented: “The Pride in the Job awards are highly regarded within the housebuilding industry, so we are very proud that Lewis has won for the second time. As a housebuilder we are honoured to have only the most dedicated of site managers among our ranks who ensure that nothing is overlooked when it comes to providing the highest quality during the construction of our new build homes. On behalf of Linden Homes, we would like to wish him the best of luck in the upcoming rounds of the competition.” Lewis has earned this win after twelve months of rigorous judging, with this round of the competition having begun in July 2020. The Quality Award winners are now set to enter into the next round and compete for Seal of Excellence and Regional Awards in the autumn, with the national Supreme Award winners unveiled in January 2022. Minerva Heights is a contemporary collection of two-, three- and four-bedroom houses for sale in Chichester – close to the cathedral city’s centre and near to numerous schools, restaurants and amenities.  For further information about Minerva Heights, call 01243 928 738 or visit the website. 

Read More »

STEWART MILNE HOMES SECURES £13M FROM HOMES ENGLAND TO ACCELERATE DELIVERY OF 1,000 NEW HOMES IN THE NORTH WEST

Kenneth Booth September 7, 2020

Stewart Milne Homes has secured an additional £13million from Homes England to accelerate the delivery of new homes across a number of its developments in North West England. This funding announcement, which follows on from a 2018 award of £11.5million, brings the total number of new homes to be delivered by this ongoing partnership to almost 1,000, boosting the economy, adding to community infrastructure and supporting the creation of new jobs. The funding will support the Scottish independent, award-wining housebuilder in delivering the new homes across eight developments in Alsager, Broughton, Chester, Congleton, Hooton, Prescot, Warton and Willaston. These developments, which will create desirable communities with a balanced mix of family homes, around 30% of which will be affordable, will help meet the country’s housing shortfall. The developments are at various stages, with Callenders Green in Prescot due to complete this month and Broughton Park due to commence in the next few weeks. Working in partnership with Homes England, Stewart Milne Homes secured the loan from the £3billion Home Building Fund which aims to increase the number of new homes being built across the country with a target of delivering 300,000 new homes per annum. Paul Challinor, managing director of Stewart Milne Homes North West England, believes the fund, which was already helping to address the country’s long-term housing challenge pre-COVID, is more important than ever as the country embarks on the road to recovery following lockdown.  He said: “The construction industry can play a major role in getting the economy back on its feet after lockdown. It’s crucial in terms of supporting jobs and the supply chain as well as closing the gap between supply and demand for homes. “As we emerge from lockdown, private, independent developers, like ourselves, will find it even more challenging to make the up-front investment required to close that gap. “The Homes England funding enables us to accelerate the delivery of outstanding new communities for local residents and help the UK Government meet its housing targets.  “Securing the funds is testament to the strong relationship we’ve built with Homes England over a number of years, demonstrates the confidence they place in us to deliver and underlines our commitment to investing in the North West.” Terry Errington, head of structured real estate finance, Homes England, said: “Our relationship with Stewart Milne Group continues to strengthen and we are pleased to advance additional loan funding to deliver much needed open market and affordable homes across the region.  We are supportive of building capacity and productivity in the construction sector, and Stewart Milne Group’s off site manufacturing model is a key element of this focus.”. Stewart Milne Homes North West, a division of Stewart Milne Group, was established in 2006. Since then it has been on a steep upward growth trajectory. This exceptional growth, along with its high levels of customer service, has been recognised by several awards, most recently three winners in the NHBC Pride in the Job awards for construction quality on site. Mr Challinor added: “Having experienced rapid growth in the North West in recent years, we have become a recognised brand in the region with a reputation for delivering quality, family homes in desirable new communities with a focus on craftsmanship and very high design specifications. “We will continue to invest in the region through our strategy of acquisition of sites in prime residential locations, to create communities where demand is strongest for our new mix of family homes.”

Read More »

An Epic Era for the Ballymore Business

Cristina Diaconu October 1, 2018

Ballymore continues to be celebrated for its pioneering approach to creating places where people live and thrive. Putting quality of life and a rooted connection to arts and culture at the core of the business, Ballymore take great seriousness in their role as a place maker. Standing proudly as one London and Dublin’s most active property developers, Ballymore have over 5,500 people engages with them on every level throughout current projects. Current projects include that of new headquarters for the English National Ballet and London Film School, on London City Island. Previous work has seen the business work alongside the US Government, moving their embassy from Grosvenor Square to Embassy Garden, Nine Elms, a project which established a new riverside cultural district for the city. Recently, Royal Wharf has been presented with the Seal of Excellence at the NHBC Awards. An honour presented to Joe Cashman, Director, after the joined the top 450 UK Site Managers to win a Quality Award for the projects Phase 2B Development. Joe Cashman is now part of an elite and recognised group of site managers who have showcased dedication and commitment, leading to a representation of the top 100 site managers in the country. An initial 16,000 enter the NHBC Awards in the hope of being granted the honour of Seal of Excellence. The award stands as a testament to Ballymore’s continuous commitment to the creation of homes of outstanding quality, that are built with the benefits of the client in mind. The NHBC judge Site Managers on six key areas: attention to detail, leadership, consistency, technical expertise, interpretation of drawings and specifications, and health and safety measures. The Pride in the Job Award has been presented by the NHBC since its launch in 1980 and has since helped businesses to showcase their ability and performance, driving the standards that new builds should meet a certain criteria to be the very best they can be. NHBC standards are integrated into the culture and heart of Ballymore, which stands as a company that is forever looking to improve and innovate, to offer the very best in modern home design and construction. Joe Cashman has expressed his pride in being awarded the esteemed honour and is happy to have received recognition on behalf of the Royal Wharf project and Ballymore. Despite the award being granted to individuals, it is an overall representation of the company and every individual involved in a recognised project. “For the company, the awards from the NHBC mean we’re doing something right,” remarks Joe. “For me at Royal Wharf, it is the result of all the team’s efforts. We’ve been here on site as principal contractor for the last three and a half years, and the award represents the successful accumulation of a lot of hard work.” Ballymore offer an ability to not only continuously deliver homes to the highest of standards but have build an established reputation that show a willingness to constantly seek improvements through constant dedication.

Read More »

NHBC Award Winning Family Owned Luxury Home Developer Bentier Homes

BDC News Team February 19, 2018

A family owned organisation with a longstanding history of both designing and building luxury homes, Bentier Homes operates out of its Reading head office and provides a leading service for the planning, designing, and creating of exclusive luxury housing developments for resale. Not just looking to build houses, but instead to create homes for its customers, Bentier Homes comes to the fore by tailor-making properties to suit specific locations whilst also maintaining the highest standard of workmanship across all properties. Through the individualisation of property design, the company effectively delivers homes which fit neatly into communities, add aesthetic value, and effectively contribute to the locality beyond the base provision of housing stock. Also noteworthy for the attention to detail, the finish of Bentier Homes developments is regarded as head and shoulders above the rest. Including everything from the building of the house all the way through to aspects such as landscaping and more, this attention to detail sees the company offering a comprehensive development package which allows for customers to move in with minimal fuss, hassle, or requirement for any additional work. All this, surprisingly, is provided as part of the traditional package, and not an optional extra. Extending the focus on minimal fuss further, Bentier Homes also operates in a responsible way when considering community interaction. Regularly contacting local community representatives not simply before works commence, but also with regular updates if there may be any noise disruption or otherwise, Bentier Homes effectively makes sure that community representatives are engaged with and made fully aware of the works being performed on site. This not only helps in the area of health and safety when larger works are being performed, but also in easing community concerns and has proven very successful. This year, Bentier Homes has also been very successful with Site Manager, Tim Parker winning the Pride in the Job 2017 Award, affording clear recognition of the hard work and standards being maintained by both Parker and the wider company. “It’s a great award for us. It’s something we’ve been working on for some time. Just to be able to say we have a Pride in the Job Award is a great USP for the company, and on a personal note great for my C.V naturally! It’s all positives really,” commented Tim Parker, Site Manager at Bentier Homes. Although this is the first Pride in the Job Award won at Bentier Homes, Parker remains confident that this will be the first in a long line of awards thanks to an overhaul in the company’s organisational strategy, allowing for the company to better showcase excellence in awards such as these. But of course, beyond the change in organisation, the company has also been adamant in maintaining the driving factors behind the company’s renowned level of quality and attention to detail. Commenting on how this has been made possible, he continued: “It’s been key to make sure our trades are up to date and also fully understand all the relevant NHBC regulations. It’s also been about maintaining high standards and consistency of workmanship on site, while maintaining a good working relationship between our trades which is something I always encourage.’’ Of course, Bentier Homes has been with its trades the entire time in ensuring that standards are continually improving. On a day-to-day basis, the company strongly encourages its trades to take note of where challenges or issues may be arising so that they can do things differently next time, whilst on a longer-term basis the organisation also involves trades with constructive meetings and training on best-practices. The combination of these two elements has, of course, allowed for a continuous cycle in improved performance from both an efficiency and quality workmanship perspective. This has only been successful thanks to the level of passion which Bentier Homes’ trades put into their work, as well as their commitment to working closely together for the benefit of the customer. Indeed, the cooperation and collaboration between trades and management have been the driving force behind the success, as Parker clarifies: “It’s a massive team effort and although I am at the forefront of it, it’s about that teamwork really that ensures a great home is handed over.” Going forward, Bentier Homes looks to strengthen its relationship with the NHBC further. Having enjoyed the success of the first award, Parker is determined to win further awards with the NHBC and has a number of projects in the pipeline which it will be putting forward for such awards.

Read More »