Brendan Leech’s tenth NHBC Pride in the Job award at Nansledan

Ten years is a long time to keep hitting the same high note. For one site manager at Nansledan, it has become a habit. Brendan Leech has picked up an NHBC Pride in the Job 2026 Quality Award, his tenth in a row, for the standard of the homes going up on the edge of Newquay.

A decade of recognition

The award comes from the National House Building Council, and it is one of the most sought-after honours in the housebuilding industry. Over the same ten years, Brendan has also collected eight Seal of Excellence Awards and was named Regional Winner in 2023.

Brendan works for CG Fry & Son, the firm building large parts of Nansledan. The Pride in the Job judges look closely at how a site is run, weighing up leadership, technical knowledge, attention to detail, health and safety, consistency, and how well drawings and specifications are interpreted on the ground.

At 59, Brendan has been in construction for more than 43 years. He started as an apprentice bricklayer at 17, lives in Newquay, and spends his time away from site with his wife, two daughters and their cockapoo.

📷Brendan Leech, Nansledan

“It’s been a real team effort”

Brendan was quick to hand the credit around. “Receiving my tenth consecutive Pride in the Job Award is something I’m incredibly proud of because it reflects the commitment of the entire site team,” he said. “This has been one of our most challenging years, with work taking place across multiple phases of the development, but everyone has remained focused on maintaining the highest standards of quality.

“I’m fortunate to work alongside an excellent team. Their dedication, consistency and attention to detail have made this achievement possible, and it’s important that everyone feels recognised for the part they’ve played. It’s been a real team effort.”

He also talked about watching the place grow. “It has also been a privilege to be involved in the continued development of Nansledan. Looking around the community and seeing how it has grown, from residents moving in and independent businesses opening, to royal visits and the introduction of new energy-efficient technologies, has been incredibly rewarding. Consistency breeds quality, and having a strong, experienced team has been key to everything we’ve achieved.”

📷Nansledan site team July 26

The place he’s building

Nansledan is a 540-acre extension to Newquay, shaped by the vision of His Majesty King Charles III and developed by the Duchy of Cornwall. It has grown into a working community with new homes, independent shops, cafés, leisure facilities, a primary school and a community centre, alongside nearly 300 acres of green open space taking in parks, allotments, playgrounds and an orchard.

Mike Crawford, Development Construction Director at CG Fry & Son, said the run of awards spoke for itself. “To receive one Pride in the Job Quality Award is a tremendous achievement, but to win ten consecutive awards is truly exceptional,” he said. “Brendan consistently demonstrates outstanding leadership and an unwavering commitment to quality, setting the standard for everyone on site.

“One of Brendan’s greatest strengths is his organisation. He plans meticulously, keeps every aspect of the build running smoothly and ensures the site operates efficiently without ever compromising on quality.”

Mike also thanked the subcontractors, suppliers and colleagues behind the work, and passed on congratulations to Brendan and the rest of the team.

📷Nansledan

What the judges wanted to see

Cassandra Codling, Senior Regional Director at NHBC, said the award marked out something more than solid performance. “Congratulations to Brendan Leech who has demonstrated incredible dedication, passion, commitment and leadership to produce homes of exceptional quality,” she said. “The judges look for site managers who go beyond strong performance and demonstrate qualities that lift a good site manager to an exceptional one.

“The competition is at the heart of NHBC’s core purpose to raise standards in house building. It inspires site managers to make their mark on the industry, earning the respect of their peers and leaving a legacy of homes built to the highest quality standards.”

Brendan was one of four CG Fry & Son site managers to take home a Quality Award this year. The others were Grant Gibson at Jurston Fields in Wellington, Somerset, Steve Walker at Poundbury in Dorchester, Dorset, and Alex Reid-Johnson at Welborne in Hampshire.

The Quality Award winners now move on to compete for Seal of Excellence and Regional Awards in the autumn, with the national Supreme Award winners revealed in January 2027. More on the company is at cgfry.co.uk.

📷Brendan Leech at Nansledan