Development updates

Housebuilding in the blood for award-winning site team at Bishop’s Itchington

- 28 Aug 19

A site manager in Bishop’s Itchington, who says housebuilding is in his blood, has impressed so much in the role that he has now won a national award for construction quality.

Ian Andrews, based at Bovis Homes’ Furrowfields location in Bishop's Itchington, has won the National House Building Council (NHBC)’s Pride in the Job Quality Award, after being selected from more than 16,000 site managers across the UK.

Ian has worked as a site manager for 13 years and said teamwork was vital to site success. His 23-year-old son Ben is his assistant and the duo head up a close-knit group, including sub-contractors, at the location on Knightcote Road, where the team are leading the way in building properties from Bovis Homes’ brand-new housing range.

“We’re so excited and happy to win this Pride in the Job Quality Award,” Ian said. “It means so much to the team, we have a great spirit here and get on well with the work, our colleagues and those who have bought a home at this impressive location.”

Both Ian’s grandad, and his wife, Sharon, have worked in the industry. Ben, a former carpentry apprentice, has worked at Bovis Homes for five months and said it was fantastic to learn from his dad.

“Ben is a great assistant site manager and has picked up the nature of the job extremely well,” Ian added. “He has a natural talent and has been learning parts of the role he has less experience in, like bricklaying.

“My grandad was a carpenter and my wife a sales negotiator for many years, so it’s definitely something that’s in the blood, but you have to pick up and develop the skills too.”

A total of six Bovis Homes colleagues won a Pride in the Job Quality Award across the country this year, the same number as last year and the housebuilder’s highest amount since 2004.

Pride in the Job celebrates the exceptional contribution site managers make in creating homes of outstanding quality. After 12 many months of rigorous judging, these first round winners excelled and will now go on to compete for the Seal of Excellence Awards and Regional Winner titles.

The NHBC Pride in the Job West region award ceremony for Ian takes place in Birmingham on 27th September.

Paul Stafford, regional managing director at Bovis Homes, said: "We are delighted for Ian and his team. Bishop’s Itchington is a very popular location and we’re so impressed with the quality of homes the team is building there.

“We’re extremely proud of Ian, Ben and the rest of the team and long may our high standards of quality and presentation continue.”

The Furrowfields team also won a commended best site award in the 2019 NHBC Health and Safety awards.