Publication Date: 17-07-2025 09:00
Bellway site managers in Northern Home Counties division win coveted industry award
Site managers from Bellway’s Northern Home Counties division have been recognised for the quality of their work with a host of coveted national awards.
Five site managers from the division, which is based in Milton Keynes and is building at sites in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, and Northamptonshire, 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.
Alan Holmes, Project Manager at New Cardington Gate in Shortstown, which is being built under Bellway’s Ashberry Homes brand now has his ninth Quality Award and he has also previously won two Seal of Excellence awards during his career. Alan, 64, from Henlow, has worked for Bellway for 14 years.
He said: “I never take it for granted that I will win. It really is about that word pride. Throughout every day, every week and every month you strive to do your best and you are proud to get that recognition. If you don’t get it, it hurts, so from my first award to my ninth it is just as important.
“It’s also a recognition of everyone on site. I never take them for granted either and respect them and their work whether they are a cleaner or a decorator or a groundworker.
“Winning a Quality Award takes dedication and to me that means waking up every morning and trying to do your best and achieve the best.”
Michael Crake, Senior Site Manager at Chamberlains Bridge in Leighton Buzzard, won the first Quality Award of his career in 2023 – his first year with Bellway – before repeating the feat in 2024 and 2025.
The 42-year-old from Aylesbury said: “It’s my third year with Bellway and my third Quality Award. It feels good. I’ve got a good team and we have worked well together to make a quality product. The key to running a successful site is getting the right people in the right job and being thorough – check, check and check again.
“Bellway has given me everything I could have asked for. The support I have had from the wider team, the office staff and the contracts manager has been excellent. Everyone involved has the right ethos, and it flows down from the top. Everyone knows what they are doing, everyone knows their role and everyone does it well.”
Dan St Hilaire, Site Manager at New Cardington Fields in Shortstown, near Bedford is also celebrating the third Quality Award of his career.
The 38-year-old from Bedford entered the construction industry in 2017, having previously served in the airborne infantry with the 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment. He says that the regiment’s motto Utrinque Paratas or ‘Ready for Anything’ can just as easily be applied to his current role.
He said: “It is similar to military values. You lead by example, you set your stall out and people can see you believe in what you’re doing and that you hold yourself to account. I’m willing to muck in if need be and it shows the team we are in it together. We set high standards from the start, and we don’t accept anything less.”
Ross Jenkins, Senior Site Manager at Staverton Lodge in Daventry, has won the second Quality Award of his career, two years after his first success in 2023.
Ross, 38, from Northampton, who has worked for Bellway for six years, said: “I set standards early and take the team on the journey. It’s about getting everyone to buy in and make sure people are proud to do their job. Building homes is leaving a legacy and we want our people to come past in 10 years’ time and be proud of what they’ve helped build.
“We are a tight-knit site here and they were all invested in winning a Pride in the Job award. Once I found out I let everybody know around the site and they were excited and happy. The word spread and the phone was going non-stop!”
Cymon Robinson, Senior Site Manager at Weavers Fields in Desborough also won a Quality Award for his work at the development.
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.
Iain Hunter, Construction Director for Bellway Northern Home Counties, 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 Michael, Dan, Alan, Ross and Cymon, 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 the Northern Home Counties division, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/northern-home-counties.
