Summerfield Homes hands over its 2,000th Home

Summerfield Homes has reached a significant landmark with the handover of its 2000th home since inception.

The business began new home construction in 1987 and over the last 37 years has evolved into an established housebuilder, gaining the reputation for building quality new homes in excellent locations across the South West.

When stepping into the housebuilding industry Summerfield Homes delivered smaller projects of three to five units whilst actively building strong relationships with local subcontractors and suppliers. In 2024 the business is actively working on multiple schemes across the South West including 320 units at Killams Park in Taunton, 250 units at Liddymore Park, Watchet and 20 units at Carrots Farm, North Petherton.

The housebuilder is also preparing for two new schemes starting imminently in the popular Somerset villages of Ashill and Horton, and has projects in various planning stages for Axminster, Kenton Mandeville, Exeter, Chard, Middlezoy, Bishops Lydeard and Plymouth.

Celebrating the milestone of the 2000th home is a proud moment for the team and has provided the opportunity to reflect on what the business has achieved since 1987.

Ed Khodabandehloo, Managing Director at Summerfield Homes, said: “A huge thank you must go to our management team and staff past and present, suppliers, subcontractors and consultants as we achieve this impressive milestone.

“On the way to handing over our 2000th home we have managed to secure several accolades for our build quality including multiple NHBC Pride in the Job Awards.

“We have plans for continued sustainable growth as a business but still very much with a focus on delivering a high standard of home to all our customers. Our reputation across the Southwest as a long-standing conscientious housebuilder with good relationships with our customers and supply chain is very important to us.”

The 2000th home is located at Carrots Farm, North Petherton and has been handed over to the new homeowners Paul Rochford and Lesley Norbury. Accepting the keys to their new home they said: “We spent several days looking at various new build properties around the Bridgwater area & Taunton.

“Our conclusion from viewing many properties is that the build quality of the Summerfield houses is exceptional. The layout of the house fits our needs perfectly, and the energy-efficient solar panels coupled with the EV charging point are a great plus.

“The location is perfect for Paul’s work in Bridgwater and North Petherton is an ideal community for us; it’s not too big and not too small.

“Overall, our experience with Summerfield Homes has been very good. They gave us time to overcome a stressful delay in our house-purchase chain. They have also given us an unprecedented level of one-to-one service in the house-buying process.”

Image: Left to Right, Ed Khodabandehloo, Managing Director at Summerfield Homes; Paul Rochford; Lesley Norbury; Philip Morgan, Divisional Director – Sales & Marketing at Summerfield Homes and Clive Linham, Site Manager at Summerfield Homes.

Helping Danesfield Pupils Make the Most of Their Outdoor Gym Equipment

South West housebuilder Summerfield Homes have handed over a cheque to Danesfield School in Williton to help pupils make the most of their outdoor gym, even in wet weather.

Summerfield Homes donated £500 towards the new matting to go around the outdoor equipment and is pleased to invest back into the local community, where they are currently active on their Liddymore Park development in the neighbouring town of Watchet.

The outdoor equipment was opened in the summer of 2022 by the then captain of Somerset County Cricket Club, Tom Abell however, the gym is less popular with the school’s 350 pupils aged 9 to 13 when the ground is wet.

Headteacher, David McGrath, said: “The school is grateful for the money towards the matting which will be installed by caretaker Ray Griffiths and make the use of the gym more appealing in periods of bad weather. I am pleased that Summerfield Homes are keen to support the communities in which they are building new homes.”

Summerfield’s Divisional Director, Sales & Marketing, Philip Morgan said: “It was a pleasure to visit the school which has been part of the Williton, Watchet and Washford communities for generations. The business is pleased to provide a donation towards something that would benefit the pupils and encourage outdoor activities.”

The Watchet development Liddymore Park, is a collection of traditionally built 1, 2, 3 & 4 bedroom homes nestled at the foothills of the Quantock Hills National Landscape. The show homes are open Friday – Wednesday, 10am – 5pm.

Image: Pictured with the outdoor gym equipment are (left to right): Summerfield sales advisor, Rene Kilner; School Caretaker, Ray Griffiths: Head Teacher, David McGrath; Divisional Director, Sales & Marketing for Summerfield, Philip Morgan and pupils Freddie, Isabelle, Tammy and Freddie.

New Senior Appointment at Summerfield Homes

Summerfield Homes, has continued to grow its team with the appointment of a new Divisional Director to head up strategic land and planning. 

Neal Jillings joins the housebuilder as Divisional Director for Strategic Land & Planning in his new role based at the firm’s Taunton office bringing with him over two decades of experience within residential development across the region.

Neal is a chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute and brings with him a wealth of specialist knowledge and experience.  This includes working for a local planning authority, the Planning Inspectorate, Savills and, more recently, running his own practice where he has recently been working with the team at Summerfield Homes in a consultancy capacity.

In his new role, Neal will be responsible for identifying and progressing future opportunities for housing schemes in the South West in line with Summerfield Homes’ growth plans. Neal will also be working on progressing the planning strategy for some of the company’s existing strategic land assets from Plymouth to North Somerset.

Ed Khodabandehloo, Managing Director at Summerfield Homes, said: “I am pleased to continue our growth plans with the appointment of a highly qualified and well-respected professional in Neal. We have some exciting strategic land holdings across Devon and Somerset and with Neal on board we can really focus on bringing these to fruition as well as adding to the company’s already expanding land portfolio.”

Commenting on his new appointment, Neal Jillings said: “I have enjoyed working with Summerfield Homes as one of my key clients and taking up Ed’s offer is a fantastic opportunity for me.  I have worked in planning and development throughout the South West for almost 30 years.  I hope to bring some of that experience to bear in helping Summerfield Homes maintain its position as a respected and successful regional housebuilder”

Summerfield Homes hand over 11 new affordable homes in Watchet

Summerfield Homes has handed over eleven brand new properties on its development at Liddymore Park, Watchet to Somerset community- based affordable housing provider, SHAL Housing.

The houses are in the first of three phases of Summerfield’s development and range from one to three-bedroom properties. All but one has a garden and they each benefit from air source heat pumps and dedicated parking.

Liddymore Park is a short distance from the Knights Templar First School and within easy reach of Watchet town centre. The houses have been carefully designed to fit well with their surroundings and have a contemporary feel.

Handing over the completed homes to Lee Martin-Skull from SHAL, Mark Woodland, projects manager at Summerfield Homes, said: “We are delighted to be able to handover these much-needed homes to an association that works to provide safe, warm and affordable housing across the County.

“We are proud to deliver schemes with a mix of provision that create new communities for local people in sought after locations and that have our hallmark of a quality finish.”

Taking on the homes, Lee said: “It is such a privilege when we see people moving into the homes we help provide and we are grateful to Summerfield for the great job the team has done in planning and turning into a reality this attractive development.”

Image: (L- R) Alistair Lee, Site Manager, Summerfield Homes; Lee Martin-Skull, SHAL Housing; Stephanie Tonkyn from surveyors Taylor Lewis and Mark Woodland, Projects Manager, Summerfield Homes.

Summerfield Homes announces it’s first Net Zero development in Middlezoy

Summerfield Homes has secured permission to build 26 new homes, including affordable properties, in Middlezoy.

The Somerset based housebuilder has been given consent for the development on land off Back Lane, which will be Summerfield Homes first Net Zero Carbon project.

With new access and highways improvements as part of the scheme, the development will have a mix of one, two, three and four bedroom homes, of which a number will be handed over to a local housing association. This comes after a 2021 housing needs survey highlighted the requirement for more affordable homes in the area.

Not only will the development benefit from being a Net Zero scheme but also, each property will be constructed with the latest energy efficient features such as a renewable energy source, PV solar panels and shower saves. Summerfield Homes is also installing a variety of bird and bat boxes, bee bricks and hedgehog friendly fencing within the development for local wildlife to thrive in the area.

Planning permission was granted to Summerfield Homes on appeal after the planning committee turned it down. The application went to committee with the planning offices recommendation and no technical objection from highways or other consultees.

The village is accessible to travel routes including the A372 that goes to Bridgwater in approximately seven miles; Junction 24 of the M5 motorway in approximately nine miles and the A361 that goes to the County Town, Taunton in approximately 14 miles.

Commenting on the appeal decision, Ed Khodabandehloo, Managing Director at Summerfield Homes, said: ‘I’m very pleased that the Planning Inspectorate has made the decision in favour of our appeal. We submitted a policy compliant application that had no technical objections, full policy support and included ten affordable homes to meet part of a long-standing need for affordable housing identified within the village.

“We are delighted with the outcome and look forward to returning to Middlezoy to build these properties in what is a very desirable Somerset village.” 

Summerfield Homes purchases land for 9 family homes in Horton, Somerset

Summerfield Homes has purchased the land of a former garage in the village of Horton where it has permission to build nine detached family homes.

The Somerset based housebuilder is delivering a mix of three, four and five bedroom detached homes on the outskirts of the Horton located off Shave Lane.

Before construction can begin, the former garage and outbuildings will be demolished making way for a new access road and the nine homes, which have been individually designed, adopting a contemporary specification inside and out.

Enjoying views of open countryside, the site will retain East and South hedgerows and trees with additional planting, bird and bat boxes to encourage nature to thrive in the rural setting.

Each new home will benefit from the latest energy-efficient features incorporating a renewable energy source, shower saves and further thermally efficient external elements. The development has been carefully planned to ensure each property takes advantage of the maximum amount of natural sunlight and ventilation.

The popular village of Horton benefits from a rural setting but is coupled with excellent travel routes, being accessible to major A roads including the A303 and A358 as well as being approximately 11 miles from Junction 25 of the M5 motorway.

Commenting on the completion of this new site purchase, Jamie Johnson, Development Manager at Summerfield Homes, said: “We are pleased to have successfully completed the purchase of the land at Horton, off Shave Lane. This development presents the opportunity for Summerfield Homes to deliver nine contemporary new homes all built to an excellent specification.

“We understand the importance of providing highly energy efficient properties, that are not only kind to the environment but also benefit from being constructed with quality materials ensuring we provide an excellent place for customers to live for years to come.”

Development underway at Carrots Farm, North Petherton

Summerfield Homes have officially started works on 20 new homes at Carrots Farm, North Petherton.

This development will have a collection of 2, 3 & 4 bedroom homes positioned in a prime location just under 1 mile from Junction 24 of the M5 Motorway.

Since acquiring the land earlier in the year Summerfield Homes have received high levels of interest in the properties and expect this to be a highly sought after development.

Carrots Farm will also deliver areas of open space, a local area of play and affordable housing.

Ed Khodabandehloo, Managing Director at Summerfield Homes commented; “We are delighted to have started at Carrots Farm in North Petherton, delivering 20 homes to this popular Somerset village. Our sales team look forward to welcoming customers to the development in early 2023.”

New Land Purchased in North Petherton, Somerset

Summerfield Homes are pleased to announce the purchase of Carrots Farm Shop in North Petherton, Somerset. The land has outline planning for 20 new 2, 3 & 4 bedroom homes.

Construction is due to start Summer 2022, with the first properties being occupied approximately late Spring 2023.

This development will be a wonderful haven for new home owners and offers excellent local facilities with easy access to Junction 24 of the M5 motorway.

To register your interest in this development please email enquiries@summerfield.co.uk

Two Summerfield Homes Site Managers Win Prestigious Awards

On Friday 6th November 2020, the Summerfield Homes Team celebrated the achievements of Mark Woodland and Clive Linham who were both presented with NHBC Pride in Job Awards at the ceremony that was held online that afternoon.

Clive Linham won a Quality Award for his work developing Summerfield’s complex brownfield site on Monmouth Street in Bridgwater which was a partnership scheme with SHAL Housing Association. Mark Woodland was awarded with an NHBC Seal of Excellence for his outstanding work at Killams Park, Taunton. The Seal of Excellence Award is given to select finalists who achieved a Quality Award earlier in the year. Mark was one of only seventeen Managers across the South West to be awarded a Seal of Excellence.

The NHBC Awards are one of the most highly regarded competitions in the house-building industry, dedicated to recognising Site Managers who achieve the highest standards in house building. Across the UK 450 Site Managers out of over 11,000 entries won a Quality Award with only a small number winning Seal of Excellence Awards.

Judging for the Awards began in 2019, with each Site Manager assessed across these six key areas: consistency, attention to detail, leadership, interpretation of drawings and specifications, technical expertise, and Health & Safety.

Director of Summerfield Ed Khodabandehloo commented on the achievements of both Managers;

‘We are all immensely proud of Mark and Clive and it’s a great achievement for them both to be recognised by the NHBC for their outstanding work. With Mark winning an NHBC Seal of Excellence Award at Killams Park, his fourth NHBC Award and second Seal of Excellence for this site, he has officially put Killams Park into a league of its own for Somerset. It’s testament to his hard work and that of the wider team that Killams Park has become such a desirable place for people to live.’

Photographed above are Summerfield’s award-winning Managers Mark Woodland (left) and Clive Linham (right)

FIRST HOMES RELEASED FOR SALE IN WELLINGTON

Summerfield are pleased to announce the first releases at Blackdown Meadow, Wellington.

The development is conveniently located off Taunton Road (B3187) meaning it offers excellent travel routes via the M5 to nearby towns and cities. It comprises of just 23 traditionally built properties offering a range of 2, 3 & 4 bedroom homes. Every property at Blackdown Meadow benefits from 2 years customer after care and a 10 year NHBC warranty.

The first two 4 bedroom detached properties with south facing rear gardens have been released with prices from £350,000. Further releases of 2 & 3 bedroom properties will follow in the next couple of months.

Summerfield also offer a My Home scheme which provides purchasers the opportunity to buy a new home at 20% less than the open market value. The purchaser owns the whole property and there is no rent to pay, which there would be if it was a shared ownership scheme. There is criteria that must be met to purchase a My Home at Blackdown Meadow, for more information on this please contact us.

“ Very good progress is being made on site at Blackdown Meadow and we look forward to moving in new home owners from early next year.” commented Ed Khodabandehloo, Director at Summerfield.

If you would like further information about Blackdown Meadow please call 01823 257961 or email enquiries@summerfield.co.uk