Publication Date: 11-07-2025 00:00
Bellway site managers in Kent win coveted industry awards
Three Bellway site managers in Kent have been recognised for the quality of their work with a host of coveted national awards.
The trio, who work for the housebuilder’s Kent division based in Kings Hill, have secured Quality Awards in the National House Building Council’s (NHBC) annual Pride in the Job competition.
They were among only 450 winners selected from a pool of more than 8,000 site managers whose developments have been inspected by the NHBC over the past year, placing them among an elite group within the industry.
The winners were Project Managers Tommy Pritchard at Oxenden Park in Herne Bay and Colin Driver at Westland Place, Kings Hill and Senior Site Manager Stephen Connor at De Havilland Place, also in Kings Hill.
Tommy, 45, who lives on the Isle of Sheppey, has been in the construction industry for 28 years and with Bellway for 10 years. This is his first Pride in the Job Award.
“It’s something I’ve strived to achieve throughout my career,” he said. “It’s important to Bellway and important to me. I’m made up about it and the team are excited about it.
“I think the key to it is getting a team ethic among everyone on site and continuous checking of the quality. It’s about making everyone responsible and accountable for their own individual areas.
“I’ve learned that people need to know what is expected of them and to have a sense of pride in their areas.”
This year’s win brings Colin’s tally to four Quality Awards. Colin, 58, from Burgess Hill, has also previously won the next level award, the Seal of Excellence.
He said: “It’s a team effort, It’s all about the team. Working together is a big part of it as is attention to detail. They are all pleased with the award because it is a sense of achievement.”
He thanked his assistants George Lawson and Afzal Shaikh. “They have given all their efforts when needed and gone beyond expectations to deliver on time and to the quality. They know what is expected and they have kept going with it.”
Stephen, 32, from Maidstone, won his first Quality Award last year, also for DeHavilland Place, and is delighted to win again for a second year running.
He said: “It’s a tough competition and you’ve got to be on your game, and it helps to have a good team. We all work the same way and if there’s an issue, we all get stuck in. We all just work and everyone is dedicated.
“A lot of it is about setting the bar of what you expect right from the start and keep pushing it, so everyone knows you aren’t going to give up.
“The team were over the moon. They all put in hard work. I know it’s named as my win, but it’s a team effort.”
All the winners will go forward to the next stage of the competition – the NHBC’s Seal of Excellence and Regional Awards, which will be announced this autumn.
The Pride in the Job awards involve a rigorous process including spot checks on the day-to-day running of a site. Each site manager is assessed across six key areas which are consistency, attention to detail, leadership, interpretation of drawings and specifications, technical expertise and health and safety.
Mike Smith, Construction Director for Bellway Kent, said: “As you can see from the number of sites that are judged nationally, winning this award is no mean feat. The NHBC Quality Award is recognition of a job very well done and is universally respected throughout the construction industry as a mark of distinction.
“At Bellway we are constantly striving for excellence and seeking to maintain the highest of standards. Utilising our internal communications platform Pathway, successful Bellway site managers have been sharing advice and best practice with their colleagues, and this has resulted in an improved performance across the business.
“I would like to congratulate Tommy, Colin and Stephen, and their excellent site teams for this achievement and wish them all the best in the next stage of the competition later this year.”
To find out more about Bellway developments in Kent, see https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/kent.
