Tag Archives: #property #sustainablehomes #newhomes

News, Property, Property Buyer News, South West

Show home open at Stonewood Partnerships’ flagship sustainable neighbourhood in Gloucestershire

EVENTING star Harry Meade cut the ribbon on the show home at Orchard Field – Stonewood Partnerships’ flagship sustainable neighbourhood of 88 low energy homes at Siddington in Gloucestershire.

The acclaimed rider and Stonewood ambassador, who has competed at 12 Badminton International Horse Trials, told invited guests, staff and contractors how proud he was to be invited to open the home – a three-bedroomed Pippin – and how impressed he was with the sustainable credentials within the show home, which is now open for appointments.

He said: “It’s brilliant to be here and it’s wonderful to see the future of how more and more people are going to live. Hopefully this is the start of a big journey for Stonewood and congratulations to everyone involved.”

Stonewood Partnerships Managing Director Sam Smart spoke of his pride in the quality of the homes, which have been designed to be as low energy as possible without compromising the high standards of finish and craftmanship the company has produced in its other award-winning developments.

“It’s quite a significant year for us with it being our 50th birthday and it’s really nice to take a moment and stop to give thanks to everybody involved in getting to this stage of the project,” he said.

“Stonewood’s growth is rooted in core values which were established back in 1972 – quality, craftmanship and innovation. We strive to create beautiful buildings that stand the test of time and we are seeing that here at Orchard Field.

“Designing these new buildings to the highest possible environmental standards is a challenge that we have embraced and we look forward to building many more in the region. Setting new standards in housebuilding is what we strive for and we want to keep pushing the boundaries of sustainability and build quality.”

Families have already moved into the first two of the 88 two, three, four and five bedroom homes on the 11 acre development, which is bordered by trees, parkland, fruit orchards and allotments on a 35 acre site on the edge of the village.

Each Cotswold stone or red brick home, designed by sister company Stonewood Design in conjunction with ecological consultant Greenguage, will have solar panels embedded into the roof, timber frames, 45cm thick walls filled with eco-friendly insulation, triple glazing and airtight interiors to eliminate draughts and allow the energy-efficient heating system to cut bills by up to 70 per cent compared to standard -new-built houses.

Ground-floor underfloor heating fuelled by an air source heat pump and the use of mechanical ventilation heat recovery, which removes warm air from the kitchen and bathroom and uses it to heat air flowing into the living room and bedrooms, will keep the homes warm in winter and cool in summer.

Every one of the 11 contemporary Cotswold styles of home in the community has been designed to meet stringent Association for Environment Conscious Building standards that demand excellent construction and low energy consumption.

The parkland entrance to the neighbourhood will be lined with new woodland featuring a mix of Beech, Field Maple, Hazel, Alder, Wild Cherry, Hornbeam, Lime and Yew. A ten-year management plan will care for the existing 1990s-planted woodland, where diseased ash has been replaced with a mix of broadleaf varieties. Native shrubs form a threshold between the woodland and the parkland.

Fruit orchards and 900 metres of hedgerow around the development will add to more fruit trees planted within four character areas across the neighbourhood that will include tree-lined walkways, courtyards, gardens, a play areas.

Mr Smart said Stonewood’s ethos of working as a team has helped it overcome the design challenges of the project. “Stonewood is a people business, that’s how we’ve grown from a few people to almost 400 across the group and we understand that everybody is important and that individual contributions within the team as it comes together helps us to achieve great things,” he said.

“Our excellent consultant design team have really risen to the challenge on this project, designing something that really does raise the bar – and that goes down to the most minute details such as where we place the bin stores and bike stores.

“To take that design from page to site takes a first class supply chain of contractors and we have had a great team supporting us. It has been a brilliant team effort and we should be proud of what we have achieved.”

He also paid tribute to joint venture partner Nicholas Arbuthnott, the retired architect who had the original vision for the project. “Nicholas’ ambition for the legacy of the project was quite clear from the start and his wisdom and knowledge has been instrumental in producing what we see today,” he said.

A virtual tour of The Pippin can be found at www.stonewoodpartnerships.co.uk and appointments to visit the show home can be made by calling 01454 809780 or emailing orchardfield@stonewoodpartnerships.co.uk.

Construction, Construction News, News, South West

Stonewood Group founder tells of his pride as staff and families enjoy 50th anniversary celebration

MORE than 400 members of  Wiltshire construction firm Stonewood Group’s staff and their families enjoyed games, music and food at an evening to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

The family company, founded by Neill Aitkenhead and partner Tim Saunders in 1972, began, as he told the crowd during an emotional speech at Biddestone Cricket Club, as “a couple of likely lads, an old truck and two rusty acrows”.

His son Matt and his friend Ben Lang – now Chief Executive and Chief Operating officers – joined the firm and eventually took it on in 2009. They built on its reputation for quality and expertise in refurbishing historic buildings and grew the company to its present size of 350 employees across five divisions with offices in Castle Combe, Wiltshire, Tormarton in Gloucestershire, Kidlington in Oxfordshire, Castle Carey in Somerset and Exeter in Devon.

When they took on the company it was turning over around £2 million – last September it posted a year end turnover of £60 million.

Mr Aitkenhead senior told staff and their families: “I have an almost overwhelming sense of pleasure in seeing a gathering of this kind here tonight. Fifty years is a long spell, you don’t think of it as fifty years as you go along but if you doubt the journey Stonewood has made, I look around here tonight and realise the journey has been a remarkable one.”

He said evening should be about looking forward, not backward. “So it is an obvious moment for me to pay tribute to Matt and to Ben, their generation, and the innumerable good people both on site and off who have made it all happen over time,” he added.

Staff from all of the group’s division soaked up the sunshine with their families and enjoyed free food and drinks from a cocktail bar, gin bar and beer and cider tent. Before that they worked up an appetite with an inter-company tug-of-war contest that, unsurprisingly ended in victory for Stonewood Builders’ muscular site team.

Youngsters were entertained with inflatables, gladiator and football games, mini-golf and a candy floss stall, while adults enjoyed a bucking bronco and live music from Corsham band Funk City. There was also a raffle with prizes donated by clients and suppliers.

It was the second year running the group has help a summer event for staff and families but Mr Lang said this year’s was taken to another level because of the anniversary. He said the evening was an idea opportunity to bring people together. “It was a very special evening and a chance to see people’s families and spend time with them in a social setting,” he said.

“We wanted to really reinforce the fact that we are one team, one big family, and celebrate the fact that we have been doing that for 50 years. Finding ways to do that when you are such a big team scattered so wide is harder to do now so it was really lovely to see everyone, as well as some old friends.”

He said the group’s growth is a testament to the way it has stayed true to its ethos. “We’ve always tried to make everyone feel they are important, no matter what division they are in and we are successful because of that collective effort and the energy, drive, innovation and creativity within the group.”

Pictured: Staff enjoying Stonewood Group’s 50th anniversary celebration at Biddestone Cricket Club

Healthcare, News, South West

Developer Stonewood Partnerships’ sustainable homes plan will gift land for new medical centre

A DEVELOPER will gift land for a medical centre to a Tetbury health practice as part of a plan to build new homes in the Gloucestershire town.

Stonewood Partnerships, based in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, has exchanged contracts with landowner Geoff Turbott and The Phoenix Health Group and is working on a detailed planning application to Cotswold District Council for the homes at Worwell Farm in Cirencester Road.

The plan would include around 28 sustainable homes on the 5.35 acre site, with one acre set aside for the centre, which is currently in leased premises in Long Street.

Stonewood land director James Petherick said: “It’s an exciting plan for the town. The GPs carried out a sequential site analysis to decide upon the best location for a new Medical Centre and found that this is the most suitable. Their current site offers very little parking and the proposals here include the potential for a pharmacy and dentist surgery.”

Dr Peter Hill of the Phoenix Health Group said: “We are very excited to have an opportunity to build a new GP surgery for Tetbury at Worwell Farm.

“The lease for our existing premises expired in July 2021 and our landlords kindly extended it until January 2025. New premises will then be needed to keep a GP surgery in Tetbury.

“We hope to create a bespoke purpose-built facility that will improve patient experience and keep services local as well aiding recruitment of healthcare staff to the area.”

The new homes are proposed to be of similar high quality design and energy-saving capability as the 88 homes Stonewood Partnerships is building at Orchard Field in Siddington, which have generated huge interest since the site’s sales office opened.

The proposed scheme  will include enhancing a public footpath that leads to the Tetbury Trail.

“It will improve the public access to the trail which be another benefit to the town,” said Mr Petherick.

Stonewood has also recently restored and refurbished The Priory in Tetbury, creating a five-bedroom house, a mews house and seven apartments within the 18th century former priory.

Mr Petherick said: “We will be submitting a planning application for this exciting scheme by September. Building these houses will allow us to gift the land, complete with all the services, to the Phoenix so that it can develop a modern, purpose-built surgery that will be fit for the future and be able to serve the growing town.”

More about Stonewood’s Orchard Field development and other homes projects at stonewoodpartnerships.co.uk.

Construction, News, Sport

Rugby player sponsored by Stonewood Group gets England squad call

CONSTRUCTION group Stonewood is congratulating Bath Rugby star Orlando Bailey, who it sponsors, on his call-up to England’s Home Nations squad.

The 20-year-old fly-half, who was a key part of England Under-20s’ title-winning Six Nations campaign last season, will join the 36-strong national squad in Brighton today for the tournament which kicks off against Scotland at Murrayfield on February 5.

Castle Combe-based Stonewood Group Chief Operating Officer Ben Lang said: “We are so pleased to see this recognition of one of Bath’s promising players, particularly because we’ve chosen to sponsor him this season.

“A major part of our ethos as a company is teamwork, supporting one another and supporting talent so that it can flourish and Orlando has personified that in the hard work he has put in to get this chance. We’ll be following his progress closely. We all send him our congratulations.”

The youngster, known to teammates as Landy, has been part of Bath’s academy since the age of 14 after cutting his teeth at Dorchester RFC.

Bath Academy coach Craig Lilley said of the University of Bath scholar’s selection: “Orlando is someone that has been in the pathway since the age of 13, so to see him get this opportunity is simply outstanding. He is one of the most diligent and hardworking players to have come through our pathway and is an excellent role model for our young players within the region.

“He has played consistently this season for the senior team and these experiences have no doubt accelerated his development.”

Orlando told the club earlier this season that he is constantly challenging himself to improve. “A huge goal of mine is to win the Premiership with Bath and become one of the best players in the Premiership,” he said. “It will be a long old journey but I’m lucky to have a good support network around me to be able to express myself, follow that path and give everything to it.”

Stonewood Group comprises Stonewood Builders (stonewoodbuilders.co.uk); Stonewood Partnerships (stonewoodpartnerships.co.uk); Stonewood Homes (stonewoodhomes.co.uk); Earthstone Construction (@EarthstoneLltd) and Stonewood Design (stonewooddesign.co.uk).

 

News, South West

Contractor appointed to complete conversion of historic Exeter school into luxury flats

A NEW building contractor has been called in to complete the conversion of historic school buildings in the centre of Exeter into luxury apartments.

Award-winning Stonewood Builders, which specialises in working on listed buildings, has been engaged by developer Grenadier to complete the work on 37 one, two and three-bedroomed apartments and four town houses at the former St Margaret’s Girls School in Magdalen Road.

The firm, which was crowned Britain’s Master Builder at the Federation of Master Builders Awards last year, is seeing its work expanding into Devon and Cornwall with an office in Exeter its next target. The company is likely to be on site for another 12 months working on the final 22 apartments at the prestigious Grade II and Grade II* listed development.

The contractor, which celebrates its half century this year, won the Master Builder Award for its stunning restoration of Codrington Court, a medieval hall house in South Gloucestershire.

The company began as a family firm in 1972 and has steadily grown, escalating that growth after chief executive officer Matt Aitkenhead and chief operating officer Ben Lang bought out his father Neill in 2009. The company is now part of the Stonewood Group, which has a turnover of almost £60 million and employs 350 people.

The group comprises Stonewood Partnerships and Stonewood Homes, groundworks arm Earthstone and architects Stonewood Design, based in officers in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Oxford and soon Exeter.

Director Andre Le Hunte Youe said Stonewood’s experience in dealing with historic buildings is just what is needed to tackle the challenges posed by restoring the school’s crumbling Georgian buildings to their former glory.

“It’s an absolutely fabulous collection of buildings with some stunning original features but they have been very badly maintained for a long time so the work needed to bring them back to their original glory is enormous,” he said.

“There are some beautiful window shutters, fireplaces and staircases but there are an awful lot of modern additions that had been cobbled together over a long period of time that need to be carefully removed and redone properly.”

Stonewood’s first task has been to complete work on seven units within Wynlaton House, which includes the old gym, teachers’ offices, library and refectory. This building is particularly rich in original features including ornate cornice, exposed timber trusses, panelling and mouldings. The previous contractor had already completed the show home and five other apartments in Newbury Lodge.

Design work is in its final stages on the 12 units in School House and Morford House. Eight in Cresswell Court and two in Little Green are expected to be complete by the summer. The town houses within Music Rooms have been completed with one unit still available. Westhall House was bought by a private owner when it was completed and Newbury Lodge, which contains the show apartment, also has units available.

Mr Le Hunte Youe said among the many challenges are adding modern fire safety features and conveniences while protecting the site’s heritage. “The buildings have had some structural work that needs to be improved on as well so there is quite an engineering challenge,” he said.

“Some of the roofing needs to be re-engineered and insulated to modern standards without compromising its historical value. There are trusses that have sheared and snapped that have to be propped and plated because you don’t want to take anything out if you can avoid it.”

He said there is huge interest in the site. “I meet so many people who went to the school, they are always stopping to ask questions about what’s happening. We share their desire to see as much of the history preserved as possible which is why we are working very carefully with Grenadier to complete their design and to make the most of these wonderful buildings.”

The school, which closed in 2011, was founded by Bessie Jago in 1902 when she bought two houses in Southernhay West. She sold them and moved into Wynlaton House and as the school expanded it bought more of the neighbouring buildings.

“It’s a fantastic location, you would be hard-pressed to get a better one really,” said Mr Le Hunte Youe. “It’s very exciting to be involved with this project to breathe life back into these quite severely dilapidated Georgian buildings.”

Find out more about Stonewood Builders at stonewoodbuilders.co.uk.

News, Property News, South West

Enquiries pour in as first homes at Gloucestershire sustainable development go on sale

THE developer behind a sustainable neighbourhood of 88 low-energy homes has been inundated with enquiries from potential buyers after the first batch of plots went on sale.

Stonewood Partnerships has opened its sales office at Orchard Field in Siddington, near Cirencester in Gloucestershire, for homebuyers to book appointments, which are available Monday to Saturday, so they can view in safety.

“We have a fly-through video of the development to showcase what the homes will look like,” said marketing manager Jasmine Endersby. “We can also arrange plot visits when pre-booked to give our customers a feel for the beautiful views around the site and the space throughout the neighbourhood.”

A range of three and four bedroom homes have been released for reservation with move-in dates estimated for summer, with further two and five bedroom homes being released in the near future. Each Cotswold stone, red brick or rendered home on the development has been designed to meet stringent Association for Environment Conscious Building standards that demand excellent construction and low energy consumption.

They have been built on a ‘fabric first’ principle – with their fundamental design aimed at making them as airtight as possible. Solar panels are embedded into the slate roof, 45cm thick walls are filled with eco-friendly insulation so the draught-free airtight interiors allow the energy-efficient heating system to cut bills by up to 70 per cent compared to standard new-built houses.

The woodland-bordered site is 35 acres in total but just 11 acres will be developed. Hundreds of trees will be planted across the community, beginning with an orchard to the west of the development and dozens more lining the parkland road into Orchard Field.

Two new ponds have already been built on a two-acre nature reserve away from the homes to provide a haven for Great Crested Newts, birds and other wildlife.

A new dropping off point will be created for parents bringing children to nearby Siddington C of E Primary School. The new community is expected to provide at least 30 new pupils.

Ms Endersby said: “We have been overwhelmed by the interest in the scheme and have made five reservations in our first week. We think we’ve had such high interest because it’s a really special development with high sustainability credentials, coupled with the design and build quality of a Stonewood home.

“Cirencester’s location at the gateway to the Cotswolds makes it such a desirable place to live and we are so fortunate to be able to offer such beautiful homes all surrounded by meadows and a chance to really be part of a community. It’s something the whole team here is passionate about.”

Work on the site is well under way with the homes’ revolutionary airtight wooden frames being craned into place. The frames are sealed together to form the floors, walls and roof, which not only makes the house better insulated but quicker to produce.

“They effectively leave a dry shell for us to put the masonry around the outside and then fit out the inside,” said Stonewood Partnerships managing director Sam Smart. “It takes a week to erect a pair of houses when normally it would take four to six weeks. It allows us to start working inside straight away, which makes it a much quicker and cleaner process.”

Ms Endersby said an increasing interest in sustainability and rising energy prices have also fuelled interest in the development. “I think people are really conscious of the environmental impact now so people are really keen to learn more about the building standards we are working to,” she said.

“People have been really interested in the attention to detail we put into the energy-saving design, such as thicker walls, triple glazing, small bore pipes to reduce loss and the air source heat pumps. They are very energy-efficient but they are also beautiful.”

To book an appointment to view the homes available at Orchard Field 01454 809780 or email orchardfield@stonewoodpartnerships.co.uk. Find out more about Stonewood Partnerships at stonewoodpartnerships.co.uk.

Construction News, News, South West

Ancient woodland ceremony marks milestone for construction of sustainable homes neighbourhood

AN ancient Scandinavian ceremony marked a milestone for a developer building 88 sustainable homes within an environmentally friendly community.

A tree branch was raised to the roof during the topping out ceremony for the show home at Orchard Field in Siddington, near Cirencester in Gloucestershire, as Stonewood Partnerships management and staff as well as contractors and guests celebrated with a glass of fizz and bacon rolls.

The neighbourhood is being built by Stonewood Partnerships as a joint venture with retired architect Nicholas Arbuthnott, whose vision inspired the scheme.

Each Cotswold stone or red brick home is designed to cut heating bills by up to 70 per cent compared to standard new-built houses.

Stonewood Partnerships managing director Sam Smart said the ceremony was a good way to mark  the milestone for the firm, which is based at Castle Combe and Tormarton.

He told guests: “It’s a moment to pause and reflect and to say thank you to everybody for all the hard work that has brought us to this point.

“We are all very proud and privileged to be part of this project, delivering high quality sustainable homes. It has been a real journey in understanding what a sustainable home is and what it can be  – and to be fair we are still on that journey and are always challenging what can be done.”

With the branch raised to the roof by site manager James Dunsire and assistant site manager Chelsey Salt, guests raised a glass to the development and wished the workers luck. The tradition is said to date back to work on the pyramids but became popular in Scandinavia, when builders cleared a space in the forest to build a home and then placed a fir tree on top of the building as an offering to the forest gods to appease them for disturbing their habitat.

The custom also involved providing drinks or ‘tile beer’ for workers. The practice was brought to Britain after the Vikings invaded.

The woodland-bordered site is 35 acres in total but just 11 acres will be developed. Hundreds of trees will be planted across the community, beginning with an orchard to the west of the development, and dozens more lining the parkland road into Orchard Field.

Two new ponds have already been built on a two-acre nature reserve away from the homes to provide a haven for Great Crested Newts, birds and other wildlife.

Mr Smart told guests: “We have 88 high performing sustainable homes in a beautiful setting, backed up with Nicholas’ idea of building a sense of community and sustainability in terms of growing their own produce, it really is a unique situation.

“The houses will have air source heat pumps, high-performing solar panels, underfloor heating and triple glazing. All the materials have been selected for their performance and their low carbon credentials and we have used local supply chains and materials where we can.

“We are just so thankful that Nicholas and his family recognises our commitment and passion to sustainable development and have joined us on this project. It has been an absolute pleasure working with him. His passion and knowledge of all the disciplines to do with sustainability is amazing, infectious and really enjoyable.”

Mr Arbuthnott was among guests taken on a tour of the site to see the progress of the homes, which are being built using laser-cut timber panels which are 23.5cm thick – nearly double that of standard timber frames. Once they are clad the walls will be a heat-saving 45cm thick to fit the ‘fabric first’ ethos of building homes whose fundamental design is energy efficient, rather than relying on retro-fitting gadgets to produce that efficiency.

“It is really exciting to see all of this taking shape,” said Mr Arbuthnott. “I really like the roof-lines, they are very attractive. It is going to be a beautiful place to live.”

The new homes have been designed by award-winning architects Stonewood Design, with input from leading environmental engineer Greengauge Building Energy Consultants. They will meet stringent Association for Environment Conscious Building standards that demand excellent construction and low energy consumption.

Mr Smart said meeting the AECB’s high standards has demanded high levels of innovation and co-operation between designers, suppliers, builders and contractors. “It’s estimated that the AECB standards will reduce CO2 emissions by 70 per cent and our modelling is showing that it is currently 80 per cent,” he said.

“With all the additional planting and enhanced bio-diversity planned here it all paints a pretty good picture of what we are delivering.”

The first homes on the development will be ready to be reserved at the start of December. For more details about Orchard Field go to www.stonewoodpartnerships.co.uk.