MILITARY PRECISION HELPS SITE MANAGER SCOOP TOP AWARD

A FORMER Sergeant Major has drilled home excellent standards on a construction site in Southport to secure a major industry award.

Elan Homes site manager Dave Roberts, from Warrington, has won his first Pride in the Job “Quality” Award from the NHBC for his role in overseeing work at Balmoral Gardens.

Dave is one of just 450 Pride in the Job “Quality” Award winners, from a field of more than 10,000 site managers.

“I’m obviously over the moon as it’s what’s every site manager strives to achieve. We all want the best trades people so that we can be assured of the quality of the homes we’re handing over to purchasers. Everyone on site was made up when they found out I’d won the quality award as it’s a real team effort,” Dave explained.

“We’ve had so many inspections from the NHBC as part of the judging process so the fact that I’ve won should definitely give customers reassurance. The whole team is passionate about the quality of homes we deliver.”

Dave spent 25 years in the Army and when he left went to work for Barratt Developments, before joining Elan in September 2019.

“I was a sergeant major in the Army and still work with the Reserves on a part-time basis. I’ve worked in a lot more hostile conditions than at Balmoral Gardens and had risen through the ranks in the Army,” he said.

“I have ambition and passion in everything I do in my civilian life. My Army background has an impact in the way I plan and programme logistics for materials and keeping the trades happy as all they want is materials to be able to build home. Covid has extended lead in times for the delivery of materials and friends who are site managers are struggling but I’ve been planning weeks or months down the line and thinking about what materials we’ll need and where they can be stored.”

With Elan Dave has worked on sites including Mossley Gardens in South Liverpool and Kinnerton Meadows, North Wales.

At the start of the year he began work at Balmoral Gardens in Southport, where on a typical day he oversees around 20 people working on site.

“The main skill in managing a site is passion so that you can get the best out of the trades and not rush them at the expense of the quality of their work. It’s down to them having pride in their work that I’ve won the quality award,” Dave, 48, added.

In his spare time, Dave enjoys taking his caravan to the Lake District with his wife Cath where they enjoy hill walking and canoeing.

Construction director for Elan Homes in the North Peter Crowney said: “Winning a Pride in the Job award puts Dave in the top 5% of site managers. It’s the most highly regarded competition in the housebuilding industry and includes a rigorous judging process. Dave and the team at Balmoral Gardens have shown great pride in their work and the award is a real celebration of that. Homeowners at Balmoral Gardens should be reassured that construction of their new homes has been overseen by an experienced site manager with exacting standards.”

Balmoral Gardens, on Balmoral Drive, Southport, offers a choice of two, three and four-bedroom homes, with current prices starting from £239,995.

To find out more about the homes at Balmoral Gardens or make an appointment to view the show homes, visit www.elan-homes.co.uk/developments/balmoral-gardens or call 01704778911.