Pictured above: David Gough, Lovell Regional Director

Local affordable housebuilder Lovell Midlands has won a Silver Company Recognition Award from the NHBC in recognition of its active promotion, encouragement and support of health and safety best practice.

Project Manager John Beeston also took home a Highly Commended Site Award for Lovell's Kenrick Park site in Sandwell.

The Awards were presented in NHBC's second annual national Health and Safety Awards at the ICC, Birmingham. NHBC is the standard-setting and consumer protection body for new homes in the UK, and these Awards offer builders the opportunity to gain independent verification of the effectiveness of their health and safety practices.

David Gough, Regional Director, Lovell, said: ""This award is testament to a great deal of hard work by Lovell employees across the Midlands region - and I offer my particular congratulations to John Beeston, whose site was particularly highly commended. Safety is always our priority for staff, customers and the general public alike. This recognition by NHBC just demonstrates how safety is a thread that runs through all our procedures and practices."

NHBC's Head of Health and Safety, Simon Mantle, commented: "As the housebuilding industry emerges from a difficult economic period, it's the perfect time to recognise site managers who have maintained exceptional health and safety standards on-site.

"We have been extremely impressed by the standard of health and safety that we have encountered throughout the judging process. These awards play an important role in encouraging best practice and driving forward health and safety standards.

Ultimately, improvements in best practice have the added benefit of improving the end product for homeowners too."