A site manager in Cheltenham overseeing the construction of 85 affordable homes has been named as a winner of the NHBC’s Pride in the Job award for 2024.

James Atkinson and Simon Kershaw on site at Springbank View in Cheltenham

James Atkinson, who runs operations at housing association Bromford’s Springbank View development in the town, has achieved the very highest standards in homebuilding and recognised as exceptional in one of the UK’s most prestigious home-building competitions.

James Atkinson said: “This is a very proud achievement for not only me but for the whole team working at Springbank View, with a wide range of site employees and contractors all pulling together to deliver the very best quality homes for local people.

“We have developed a culture of togetherness and healthy respect between all. As a result, we have a clear, streamlined programme and are providing the new homes well ahead of schedule. 

“I firmly believe as a site manager, best results are delivered by leading from the front. I’m the first to roll up my sleeves, but the most important thing is to treat people with the respect they deserve.

“We have fantastic contractors here who have embraced the culture. When you feel like you’re working with people rather than for them, you are far more incentivised to deliver quality on your projects.”

Overseeing the development on Old Gloucester Road, the manager has looked after over 70 contractors, setting the highest possible standards among all who work on site, from bricklayers to painters and many other trades, with a dedicated team ensuring these standards are maintained.

This year, 449 site managers received the award across the UK, with James only one of 50 people in the NHBC’s South West region to be recognised for excellence.

James added: “I’m passionate about building the best for our customers, after all, a home is probably the biggest investment someone will make in their lifetime.

“To achieve this, consistency is key – setting our clear standards and insisting that they are met has been a key part in delivering excellence here at Springbank View. 

“If we have an individual who is struggling to meet these standards, we develop, teach and educate them to reach them – rather than barking orders or telling them that they’re not going quickly enough.

“We’ve fostered a great atmosphere where, despite the pressures of the job, staff feel comfortable with the jobs they’re doing, all working towards building the best possible homes we can for our customers which is the ultimate goal.”

The vast expertise exhibited by James and his team across a wide-range of responsibilities, and wealth of knowledge through the entire process meant that the development was recognised as one of the few to scoop this sought-after accolade.   

James Atkinson and Simon Kershaw walking the Springbank View development.

Bromford’s Head of Construction, Simon Kershaw, said: “We have a wealth of fantastic individuals managing all of our sites, equipped with an array of skills and in-depth knowledge of the home building industry.

“James is a shining example of how excellence can achieve for our customers, through setting achievable, high standards, which have been maintained and expanded on at Springbank View. 

“The site teams in Cheltenham and elsewhere operate under a culture of excellence, precision and quality across the development’s lifecycle, with a passion for attention to detail ensuring all projects are delivered properly and efficiently.”

Commenting on the awards, Steve Wood, CEO at NHBC said: “For more than four decades, Pride in the Job has underpinned NHBC’s purpose of raising standards in house building. The competition recognises the UK’s top site managers, showcasing best practice and rewarding excellence.

“Winning site managers demonstrate dedication, passion and leadership to ensure new homes are delivered to exacting construction quality standards. While house building is a team effort, we believe the greatest influence on the quality of a finished home is the calibre of the site manager and the way they inspire their team. Congratulations to all the winners.”

Pride in the Job has five categories: small, medium and large builders, plus multi-storey for projects up to seven storeys and high-rise for projects more than 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 2025.

Beautifully located, Springbank View is three miles from central Cheltenham, offering a good choice of places to go and things to do, to ensure that life will never be boring and avoid sacrificing all the perks of city living, while putting up with none of the drawbacks.

For more information on Springbank View, and to enquire about the development, visit www.bromford.co.uk/springbankview or call a member of our sales team on 0800 916 504.

Front door of a house in Springbank View displaying a shared ownership sign.

Bromford is part of the National Shared Ownership campaign supported by the National Housing Federation. The campaign to raise awareness of Shared Ownership, supported by almost 50 organisations. For more information, please visit https://www.housing.org.uk/our-work/affordable-home-ownership/shared-ownership/.

For more information on Bromford Shared Ownership, please visit @BromfordSales on Instagram: Bromford Sales (@bromfordsales).

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For details on the Pride in the Job Awards, visit https://www.nhbc.co.uk/awards-and-events/pride-in-the-job.