CASE STUDY 31


“That is why,” he says, “we have very few sales extras available, as we include these in the home as standard, for example, underoor heating and oak oor finishing.


It is in part because of this high atten- tion to detail that the development won the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) South West House Builder Award, with the trade association hailing the project as Somerbrook “setting the bar high for future projects,” and underlining the builder’s credentials as a top-tier house builder.”


THE RIGHT LOCATION “Working as part of Stonewood Group, we were first introduced to the prospect of working in new-build development through a former client of our contract- ing arm, Richard Cherry, ex Countryside Properties,” says Calthrop. According to the director, the compa- ny is always looking to diversify, and so, through him “opening their eyes to the prospect,” the company realised there was a potential to create a niche, high-quality and community-led scheme that was in keeping with its core brand values. We wanted to find the right location that would enable us to create a quality product that stays true to the Stonewood brand, so we focused on rural locations that would be resilient to market uctua- tions,” he continues.


As such, when the opportunity arose to build tonewood’s first development in Great Somerford, Calthrop tells me it felt like the “natural choice.” “Working with Stonewood Design and funders the Housing Growth Partnership we feel that we have developed a finished product we can all be truly proud of,” he adds.


SITE ACQUISITION & PLANNING When it came to acquiring the land, Gavin says it was fortunate that Stonewood had an existing relationship with the landown- ers, which ensured a “smooth conditional purchase,” facilitated by Savills. There was existing planning consent for the land, but this was somewhat obso- lete, so the team spent time improving it, to ensure the development was more in keeping with the vernacular of the village. According to Calthrop, there were some access challenges to overcome with the site access extending through the old farm, but other than that, he reports that it was a “straightforward” site, with little remediation required.


In terms of planning, he tells me the biggest challenge was landscaping and boundary treatments, as the team had to balance requirements around security and policy, while trying to retain the unique character of the rural setting.


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