Bellway welcomes NHBC chief to flagship sites

A housebuilder has opened the doors to two of its flagship regeneration schemes.

Newcastle-headquartered Bellway Homes welcomed Paul Turner, chief executive of the National House Building Council (NHBC) to its New Cardington developments near Bedford. 

The visit formed part of an opportunity to showcase construction standards across the multi-award-winning New Cardington Gate and New Cardington Fields sites, delivered as part of the wider regeneration of the former RAF Cardington airbase.

Paul, who became NHBC chief executive in September, was joined by colleagues for a tour alongside Bellway’s Northern Home Counties leadership team. 

The visit highlighted Bellway’s approach to the full homebuilding process, from land acquisition and planning through to construction and customer care.

Paul said: “New Cardington Fields and New Cardington Gate reflect the very best of quality and innovation in modern house building. 

“During my visit I was able to see first-hand the care and dedication taken by the Bellway team and their strong cultural focus on build quality, continuous improvement and customer care.

“I was particularly interested to see all of the build stages, from accurate alignment and detailing of the substructures, superstructure walls and first fix, to the immaculate second fix preparation. 

“Like the NHBC, Bellway has a strong commitment to developing the next generation of skilled house builders who will be essential to the delivery of high-quality new homes at pace.”

Alan Holmes, project manager at New Cardington Gate, who won this year’s Regional Award for the Central area in the NHBC’s Pride in the Job 2025 awards, led the tour, accompanied by Dan St Hilaire, site manager at New Cardington Fields, who won a Seal of Excellence at the awards.

James Griffin, construction manager at Bellway Group, said: “Meeting Paul and his team at New Cardington provided an opportunity for Bellway and the NHBC to discuss challenges and innovations in the industry, including how to work with new technologies and creating new skilled roles in construction.

“Bellway is committed to working with the NHBC to achieve the highest standards in every aspect of our work, while upskilling the workforce to deliver low-carbon homes.”

Paul Smits, managing director for Bellway Northern Home Counties, added: “We were proud to be chosen to host Bellway’s first meeting with Paul Turner. 

“New Cardington Gate and New Cardington Fields are exemplar developments which demonstrate how careful planning and meticulous attention to detail can create an attractive and sustainable new neighbourhood.

“Bellway has been building in the area for almost 20 years, providing homes, infrastructure and employment for local people. 

“The NHBC team were able to see this in action, as they watched tradespeople working alongside Bellway’s team to not only build new homes but also create the green open spaces which are such an important element of any thriving community.”

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