A site manager who is overseeing the construction of Linden Homes properties in the Oxfordshire village of East Hanney has won a prestigious award.

The 48 properties at The Nurseries are being built by Vistry Group under its Linden Homes brand, and site manager Gary Uzzell has been given a Seal of Excellence award by the National House Building Council (NHBC) for his work there.

Every site manager on a development that is registered for an NHBC Buildmark warranty is automatically entered into the competition – that’s around 8,000 sites. The first stage is the Pride in the Job Quality Award and 443 of these were given out this year. The winners of the Quality Award then go on to be considered for a Seal of Excellence.

Gary, 53, is one of only 12 site managers in the NHBC’s Central region to receive the Seal of Excellence this year and was presented with his award at a ceremony held in Milton Keynes.

He said:

“Gaining the Seal of Excellence means a great deal to me because the NHBC Pride in the Job awards are all about meeting high standards and that is my priority.

“Our work here is about going the extra mile to achieve supreme quality in every area of the build, and it is rather nice to have that recognised.

“But it’s not all about me. We have an excellent team here at The Nurseries in East Hanney and any and all credit must go to the amazing set of contractors I’ve had the pleasure to work with. They are highly skilled, consistent, and motivated and they are doing an incredible job.”

The awards look at every stage of the build from foundation to roof, including drainage, structure, and finishes, and they also consider how the site manager sets standards on the site.

Gary, who lives in Swindon, has 37 years’ experience in the construction industry. He began his career aged 16 when he started work as a bricklayer for a friend’s company. After 16 years he joined Bovis Homes as a materials controller, becoming an assistant site manager a year later.

Over the years he has been site manager at several developments and was working for Bovis Homes when it became part of the Vistry Group, alongside Linden Homes and Vistry Partnerships, in 2020.

On top of this year’s success, he has been awarded Pride in the Job Quality Awards on two previous occasions.

The Nurseries, off Steventon Road, has a range of two, three, and four-bedroom properties for sale, with prices currently starting from £335,000.

For more information about the development, visit lindenhomes.co.uk.