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Today marks World Day for Safety and Health at Work, observed annually on 28 April—a timely reminder of why safety must stay at the heart of everything we do.

Step into the day‑to‑day role of Marcus Jones, Contracts Manager, as he works behind the scenes and on site to champion safe working practices. From identifying and reducing risk to ensuring sites meet all legal and contractual safety requirements, Marcus plays a key role in protecting people, maintaining standards and making sure every project is delivered safely and responsibly.

Morning Routine: Planning the day ahead

Most days would be a walk around site with the site manager discussing the works going forward that day. We would identify any issues regarding programme, obstructions, permits required and any additional risk assessments required. Most of these actions are covered generally by the site teams, however there are many bespoke works that will need my attention in order to help the site team, this could be things like organising S278 works.

Site Visits:

I would usually try and visit 2 sites or phases per day, to check in and see how things are going that day and would assist where needed. I also spend some time ensuring that testing and recording is being carried out, as well as checking on the quality side of things. I also like to make sure that all customer care issues are discussed with the site teams, as well as discussing labour, plant and programme.

Throughout the whole day I will be taking various phone calls from our site teams, and helping them with whatever required, this could be technical, or often just a simple close out for an issue, or action rooting from one of our Health and Safety Inspections.

I make sure that I keep regular contact with the clients and will meet with them to ensure that they are happy with progress, Health and Safety matters, and any future works. I believe that it is vital that our site teams have a good relationship with the client teams, so create a good level of understanding between both, and achieve our project goals.

Afternoon: Contract Manager meetings

In the afternoon I attend various meetings at our Head Office, with the Managing Director, Construction Director, members of HSQE and the other Contracts Managers.

In these meetings we discuss all topical issues from the month, including any accidents or incidents, so we can ensure that we are putting measures in place to prevent these going forward.

These are very productive meetings, where all Contracts Managers feedback anything to directors, and members of the HSQE team, so we can work together to make improvements going forward. We all like to share what is and isn’t working across our sites, such as things like different tools, and machinery.

Reflections on his important role

In my role, I want to make sure that everyone can carry out these works in a safe and efficient manner.

I want to see everyone go home safely at the end of the day and for everyone to be working in a happy environment.

🌱 Doing our bit for sustainability

We all have a part to play in sustainability. At Tamdown, we are proud to be taking practical steps to reduce our environmental impact across our operations in collaboration with our customers and the supply chain sustainability school:

🌍 Implementing solar powered fuel tanks and welfare on our sites to cut down emissions
🌍 Trialling battery-powered tools to replace traditional petrol equipment
🌍 Operating a fleet of eco-boost and plugin hybrid, Euro 6 compliant vehicles
🌍 Partnering with the Future Forest company, planting a tree for every foundation we pour—so far, we have planted a total of 4,418 since starting this initiative.
🌍 Renewing our Excavator & Dumper Fleet to the latest fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly models, and Investigating Hydrogen Cell solutions for our larger equipment

Together, these initiatives are helping us build a smarter, cleaner, and more sustainable future 💙

🎉As one phase comes to an end, another begins!

It’s been great to see the continued progress at our Haverhill site, delivered in partnership with Persimmon Suffolk. Having commenced Phase 3B in Q4 2024, we’re now moving into Phase 4A, which will see the delivery of 90 new homes.

Thank you to Persimmon Homes for their continued trust and collaboration.
We look forward to working together on the successful delivery of this next phase.💙

🦺🫁World Health Day- April 7th👨🏻‍⚕️ 🩺

World Health Day is celebrated every year on April 7th. This World Health Day, we are taking a moment to recognise the importance of Health and Wellbeing across everything we do.

At Tamdown, health goes beyond safety on site- it’s about creating an environment where our people feel supported, both physically and mentally.

We continually strive to strengthen our Health and Safety approach by enhancing training, sharing practical resources, and encouraging healthy habits. We provide our teams with clear health information, promote regular movement breaks and wellbeing initiatives, and maintain a shared commitment to looking out for one another. Because a healthy team is a happy team 💙👷🏻

🚧Project Progress Update – Eastern Quarry, Kent 🚧

It’s been great to see our Eastern Quarry site start in partnership with Vistry Kent.

This new phase of the development will deliver 216 new homes, forming an important part of the wider masterplan for this growing development. Our scope of works includes infrastructure delivery, cut‑and‑fill operations, and all associated plot groundwork and external works.

Thank you to Vistry for your continued business; we look forward to completing this project with you.

As we mark Tamdown’s remarkable 50th anniversary, we’re taking a moment each month to look back at the people who’ve helped shape our story. Throughout the year, we’ll be sharing memories and reflections from some of our longest‑serving colleagues — those who’ve witnessed our evolution first-hand and contributed to the culture, resilience, and success we celebrate today. Their stories not only honour our past but also inspire the road ahead.

For our third feature, we spoke to Lee Haylock who has been working with Tamdown nearly 28 years!

What is your earliest memory of Tamdown when you started?

My memories of Tamdown actually begin long before I worked here myself. My dad worked for the company too, working as a Welder/Fabricator in the workshop and I would often join him on weekends.

One of my strongest early memories is from the late 1980s, when I was in my teens. My dad took me to the area that would eventually become Great Notley Country Park – before Great Notley Village or the Notley by-pass existed. I remember standing there, watching Tamdown’s Cat D8 dozer at work. It was enormous, one of the biggest machines they had at the time and it was cutting and shaping the balancing ponds. The noise, the dust, the sheer scale of it all left a real impression on me. I knew then that I wanted to be involved in the construction industry.

I later joined Tamdown as an Engineer on various sites in Kent after leaving university. The commute was long, so when an opportunity came up for a Technical role in the Braintree office, I jumped at it. From there, I eventually moved into the Commercial department, so I have been a QS for 20+ years.

How has the role of QS evolved since you started?

I’d say the biggest changes have come from technological advances, which have transformed the way we work. We now have access to far more information – and we can get it instantly. When I first started, there was no internet on site, everything was handwritten, then you went back to the office and posted a hard copy of the valuations to the customer.

Nowadays, all the information you need is right at your fingertips. It allows us to be proactive rather than reactive. We can now look towards the end of life costs rather than just what was spent yesterday. 

Collaboration with our operational colleagues has also improved, which makes a significant difference to how effectively we can plan, forecast and deliver.

What part of your role gives you the most satisfaction?

For me it’s all about the small wins – the achievements that come from the combination of moving parts. I get a real sense of satisfaction from seeing how each decision, each bit of collaboration, each piece of shared information contributes to the bigger picture. It’s more about the cumulative success we create as a team and that comes from supporting each other, and finding better ways collectively.

Do you have a memorable negotiation or breakthrough moment?

Generally, due to the nature of our contracts, there isn’t much room for negotiation. However, one experience stands out. We were securing an RC frame contract in Cambridge for a customer who was working with a high-profile end client. The contract was quite onerous – this big client feeding down through the chain. I was a bit sceptical on how things would go, but the customer was open and willing to work through the details with us. We managed to reach a mutually agreeable position. It was a challenging process but an enjoyable one to be part of.

What advice would you give to an apprentice QS joining the company?

Spend as much time as possible on site – watch, listen and really take in what we do and how we do it. Observe how teams work together and how we interact with other trades. Understanding the practical side of the job is invaluable. Be inquisitive, ask questions and don’t be afraid to get involved.

I also believe that nothing beats face-to-face communication. You can pick up far more when you’re sitting across from someone – their body language, their reactions, things that you just don’t get through a screen. So speak more, message less.

What keeps you motivated after so many years?

I’ve grown up in this industry and during my time at Tamdown I’ve seen so much movement, growth and diversity, I feel very fortunate to have been part of that journey. It genuinely feels like family here – I enjoy the work I do, and I enjoy the people I work with. That combination is what keeps me motivated year after year.

Thank you to Lee for sharing his stories and reflections from years gone by. We hope you’ve enjoyed this look back at our shared history. Be sure to keep an eye out for next month’s feature, where we’ll spotlight another long‑serving colleague and continue celebrating 50 years of dedication, growth, and community.

🚧 New Project Started – Beaulieu Park, Essex 🚧

We’re pleased to announce that we have started the next phase of works at the Beaulieu Park development in Chelmsford by Vistry Eastern Counties.

This next stage, Phases X and Y, forms part of the wider Beaulieu masterplan and includes a total of 270 homes, with Tamdown delivering the first 179. The scope encompasses site wide infrastructure, significant cut‑and‑fill operations, and all associated plot groundworks and external works.

This is an exciting multi‑year project that will see our teams once again collaborate with Vistry to support the continued growth of this flagship community development.

A huge thank you to Vistry for their continued trust and repeat partnership. We look forward to another successful delivery together. 💙

👷🏻‍♀️Women in Construction Week 👷🏻‍♀️

As we celebrate Women in Construction Week, we are proud to spotlight some of the impressive achievements made by the women within Tamdown over the past year.

✨Sarah Darville-Downs- Featured in a Causeway podcast episode, using her voice to share how finance can play a pivotal role in enabling change, as well as sharing how Tamdown approached the digital transformation.

✨Izzy Baliga-Received her certificate to officiate the completion of her Business Administration Apprenticeship at Colchester Institute’s Inaugural Apprenticeship Recognition and Achievement Awards.

✨Erika Chinnery & Charlotte Chambers- Recently earned well-deserved promotions to Financial Controller, and Purchase Ledger Supervisor. A testament to their hard work and commitment.

✨Karen Rodrigues Dos Santos- Took part in the housebuilder challenge with her team, trekking over 20 miles through the Yorkshire Dales in just over 9 hours, raising over £4k.

These achievements reflect just a fraction of the passion and leadership the women within Tamdown demonstrate every day.

We are grateful for all of the women within Tamdown for everything they contribute, onsite and off. Your efforts help to inspire the next generation and move our industry forward. 💙

As we mark Tamdown’s remarkable 50th anniversary, we’re taking a moment each month to look back at the people who’ve helped shape our story. Throughout the year, we’ll be sharing memories and reflections from some of our longest‑serving colleagues — those who’ve witnessed our evolution first-hand and contributed to the culture, resilience, and success we celebrate today. Their stories not only honour our past but also inspire the road ahead.

For our second feature, we spoke to Tommy Gant who has been working with Tamdown over for 34 years!

What is your earliest memory of Tamdown when you started?

Turning up with my bag of tools – you had everything you needed in that bag. We didn’t have the fancy electronic tools that you have today, just your hand-held tools.

What project stands out as especially meaningful?

St Mary’s Island – I lived quite close, so that was always a good thing that I didn’t have to travel so far to get to work. It was about 30 years ago now – there’s thousands of granite steps there – roundabouts, cobbles – and I worked on everyone of them!

How have the tools, techniques or site culture changed over the years?

Health and safety has definitely changed over the years. I’ve attended many courses since joining as health and safety has progressed. Toolbox Talks weren’t a thing when I started, you were just given your job. It was pretty simple in that respect. It was family-orientated back in the day – Tom Mohan would turn up and take us out for breakfast. I remember the times they organised a coach for us Kent workers to attend family fun days at Braintree Rugby Club in Essex.

What roles have you had at Tamdown?

I’ve been a health and safety representative, ganger man, black hat, dumper hat recently. I was also a mentor for the apprentices at St Mary’s Island.

Any stories that stick in your mind over the years? 

I remember finding cannonballs whilst I was working at St. Mary’s Island – probably Napoleonic as the area was used as a burial ground for French prisoners of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815).

Today, I work with an engineer, Adam Ward, and his grandad really came to my rescue one day. We were standing near some 3-way traffic lights when a drunk driver came speeding by and somehow drove into the cables that got wrapped around his wheels. They ended up catching my legs and if it weren’t for Sean Ward’s quick thinking, which allowed him to get the cables away from my legs, I might have been dragged down the street. Luckily, I came away completely unscathed!

Do you have a moment when teamwork make all the difference?

You can’t do this sort of work on your own. It’s always been teamwork for me. We look after each other and just get on with it.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out?

When I started out the money for a groundworker was very good. I’d say get a mortgage and just work hard.

What keeps you motivated through the toughest days on the ground?

My two children, my two grandchildren and paying the mortgage! My daughter got married last year – that was a very proud day for me. 

When there’s bad weather you just have to stay and do it. You just get on with it and try to be happy.

Thank you to Tommy for sharing his stories and reflections from years gone by. We hope you’ve enjoyed this look back at our shared history. Be sure to keep an eye out for next month’s feature, where we’ll spotlight another long‑serving colleague and continue celebrating 50 years of dedication, growth, and community.

👷🏻Project Progress Update- Sudbury🚧

We are pleased to share some great progress over on our Sudbury Site, across all 3 phases of the project. We have fully completed the first phase and are working to programme on phases 2 and 3.

Our team has made outstanding progress, remaining on programme while consistently upholding high-quality standards.

We’re pleased to share the key milestones achieved so far:

Phase 1:
✅ Whole Phase Complete

Phase 2:
✅ 100% Infrastructure installed
✅ 100% plot works to oversite completed
✅ 60% external works completed with residents moved in.

Phase 3:
✅ 85% Infrastructure installed
✅ 40% plot works to oversite completed

Thank you to everyone for your hard work and dedication. We look forward to seeing this development continue to progress in the months ahead. 💙