Meet The Site Manager: Fraser Stangoe At Longniddry Village
Have you ever wondered what it takes to become a site manager on a new homes development? Fraser Stangoe MCIOB is the site manager at Longniddry Village, set on the beautiful East Lothian coastline, where the very first homeowners have moved in.
With more than 23 years’ experience working within construction starting as a joiner and the last 16 years in site management, Fraser joined Places for People over four years ago. He has worked across a number of Places for People’s developments in Edinburgh and managed three of their award-winning sites, including 55 Degrees North at Granton and The Green at Longstone, which are both now sold out.
In the last eight months, Fraser and the regional team have taken the site from strength to strength. To deliver new homes at Longniddry Village, Fraser works with a dedicated site team including a project manager and two experienced assistant site managers and a commercial team. Between them they manage around 80 dedicated sub-contractors on a daily basis.
Fraser explained: “I am delighted to be part of the Places for People award-winning team – it means a lot for the team to be recognised in this way. We have just been awarded the Premier Guarantee’s award for quality and site management at Longniddry Village. With this being a new development, it is great to receive this award, and as a team we are dedicated to ensuring the site is in top condition.”
The homes offer modern country charm and period features, with the house types having been designed by celebrated architect Ben Pentreath in a traditional style to reflect the best of the nearby country towns and coastal villages and developed in partnership with landowners Wemyss and March Estates.
Fraser continued: “It’s a great site to work on. I absolutely love the location and it’s a great commute to work being based on the East Lothian coastline to take advantage of the stunning views. I love the design and style of the homes and it’s not something you get to build with a normal new build housebuilder – with lots of period features and all the extra touches – it really does make building a new home something we all take pride in and enjoy.”
What is your favourite house type at Longniddry Village?
“I absolutely love the four-bedroom detached ‘Laurie’ show home – it’s such a showstopper – it’s like no other. I love the spacious rooms, the high ceilings and unique characteristics. The bedrooms are big, and the kitchen is lovely – with high-quality designer kitchens, customers are always guaranteed a great look. I really like the windows as well as they provide a great amount of natural light.
What’s it been like working through the pandemic?
“The biggest challenges we faced were materials and labour shortages so that has been tough. It’s been a challenging year for the team, but they have worked really hard.
“We are a tightknit team and with each other every day, so we work well together and work through these challenges. Throughout, we have had guidelines in place for us to follow and as a team we’ve been safe, following the precautions and restrictions.
“What’s kept us going is looking at the bigger picture, making sure the construction is kept going where possible and continuing to build high-quality homes and making people’s dreams come true.”
Working with the local community
Places for People not only delivers homes, it creates communities. The regional team are keen to get involved and support local projects, as Fraser explains: “We are building homes for a number of years here so it’s important we connect with both our homeowners and local people.
“We strive to work sustainably and find new ways of working to be kinder to the environment. We have recently introduced eco-friendly solar streetlights to the development, while the development also offers unique tree-protected areas as well as open green space. We often see wildlife near to the site including deer and rabbits.”
What do you love about your job?
“I really love the overall construction side and seeing the completed home at the end. The thrill of handing the home over to a customer is like nothing else. I love seeing happy clients especially when they get their keys to a house we have built; seeing the full completed street scene is always exciting.”
Find out more about Longniddry Village from ZeroC, part of Places for People.
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