Work on 80 gas-free homes near Taunton to start next summer
Each of the homes will be fitted with air source heat pumps, with the entire development being gas-free
Work to deliver 80 new homes in a small village near Taunton could begin in the summer of 2025 after the site was sold to a major developer.
Hallam Land Management secured permission on appeal in February 2023 to build 80 new homes and a takeaway on Dene Road in Cotford St. Luke, around 15 minutes’ drive from the centre of Somerset’s county town.
Lovell Homes – which has recently delivered 36 new homes at the Cherry Pie Grove site in Sparkford, near the A303 – has now completed its purchase of the site for a cool £25m.
The London-based developer has confirmed that construction of the new homes within the site will begin in the summer of 2025, with the first properties going on sale early the following years.
The new homes will range from two to four bedrooms in size, with 20 being offered at affordable rates.
Each of the homes will be fitted with air source heat pumps, with the entire development being gas-free.
In line with new Defra legislation, the site will have to deliver a ten per cent biodiversity net gain (BNG) compared to leaving the site in its current state, with improvements being made within the location to encourage plants and wildlife.
Two showrooms will be created within the site to advertise the properties, with the first market homes expected to be available by early-2026.
James Duffett, regional managing director at Lovell, said: “Completing contracts on this site in Cotford St. Luke is a brilliant achievement for us at Lovell and an important milestone.
“These homes will be in a desirable, rural location close to the town of Taunton, with stunning countryside views.
“At Lovell we put a lot of care into designing our homes to make sure they suit a wide variety of lifestyles, from first-time buyers to families and from second steppers to right-sizers.
“This development will be the second gas-free community in our portfolio, and we are very proud to be creating a sustainable new place where people can live and work.
“We are looking forward to commencing work next year and to be bringing our Lovell legacy to Cotford St. Luke.”
Lovell Homes has not confirmed whether the takeaway element of the site will be delivered through a separate partner at a later date.
Somerset Council is expected is make a decision shortly on plans for 47 homes (downgraded from 52) on North Villas, within walking distance of the Lovell site.
The council is also due to publish details later this year of its plans for improved walking and cycling links between Taunton and the villages of Bishop’s Lydeard and Cotford St. Luke, which will be enhanced as part of the Taunton local cycling and walking infrastructure plan (LCWIP).