Site managers working for Bellway's Wales division have been rewarded for their dedication to building quality homes.
Two site managers from the division, which is based in Cardiff, were announced as winners of the National House Building Council's (NHBC) Pride in the Job Quality Awards.
Mark Symonds is site manager at the Alder Grove development in Newport, while David Buckingham is in charge at Forest Walk in Lydney, Gloucestershire.
David, 38, who lives in Caldicot, near Chepstow, has won the first Quality Award of his career after several near misses during his 10 years as a site manager. He joined Bellway in September 2024 and has been in charge at Forest Walk from the start of construction.
He said:
“I'm ecstatic to win my first ever Quality Award. It's a super proud moment and has been a long time coming. I ask my team to treat each home as if it were their own. We are creating someone's home, something they are going to be spending a lot of money on, and you can't cut corners. You have to show the greatest respect for every aspect of the build.
“The team have bought into it and it's been a very smooth-running site. Everyone gets along and plays their part. It really is a team effort from everyone involved. Having been so close in previous years and feeling the disappointment, it's nice to feel the opposite emotion of pride and happiness.”
Mark, 54, from Abergavenny, has now won 11 Quality Awards since becoming a site manager more than 30 years ago. This is the second successive year that he has received the accolade for his work at Alder Grove.
He said:
“It's always a proud moment to win a Pride in the Job Quality Award but it's especially pleasing to win it two years in a row. To repeat last year's success is a real testament to my team's commitment and determination to maintain the high standards we have set and to continue delivering homes of the highest possible quality for our customers.”
The awards, which are now in their 45th year, are among the most highly-prized in the housebuilding industry, with only 449 from over 7,500 site managers inspected by the NHBC selected for the honour.
Judging for the awards is a rigorous process which encompasses every aspect of a site manager's responsibilities, including consistency, attention to detail, leadership, interpretation of drawings and specifications, technical expertise and health and safety. Spot checks are also carried out on the day-to-day running of the site.
The successful site managers will now go on to be judged in the next round of the competition – the Seal of Excellence and Regional Awards – which will be announced in the autumn.
James Morgan, Senior Construction Manager for Bellway Wales, said:
“Huge congratulations to Mark and David for winning Pride in the Job Quality Awards this year.
“They have both shown absolute dedication to meeting the rigorous standards required by the NHBC judges and have also inspired their site teams to share the Pride in the Job ethos, which is vital to achieve this award.
“As a company we have targeted the Pride in the Job Awards as part of our strategic focus on quality, with best practice and expertise shared across the business.
“Mark and David have been part of helping to create a culture in which our construction teams consistently build homes they would be proud to call their own. We hope their continued commitment to excellence will enable them to achieve even greater success in the next stage of the competition.”
