Gloucestershire's Freeman Homes wins top national industry award for Small Housebuilder of the Year

The developer behind an exclusive eco-friendly development in Newnham on Severn has won a top award that celebrates innovation and excellence in new build homes.

Family-owned Freeman Homes scooped silver at the national WhatHouse? Awards in London, which brings together the best in the industry, highlighting the superb standards of the small, independent and regional housebuilder from Drybook in the Forest of Dean.

The Best Small Housebuilder award was given in recognition of Freeman Homes’ achievement in building 100 homes a year across three to four developments in Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.

The company has a proven track record for designing exceptional developments prioritising space, style, and sustainability to deliver energy-efficient living in countryside locations and has constructed 94 per cent of A-rated EPC homes since October 2021, with 100 per cent B-rated or above.

The judges praised Freeman Homes for being a family-owned business 'shining a light on the quality of small and midsize enterprises across the UK'.

Handing over the award this November 2023, they said: 'The positive business environment starts from the team culture — collaborative and empowering. In a nice touch, the company has who’s who posters across its locations of colleagues — all 106 employee faces at the time of the awards.

'This commitment to staff engagement extends to trainee and apprenticeship opportunities and personal and professional development for everyone, giving employees the chance to flourish and succeed.

'It stems from the top and CEO Luke Freeman, who joined the family business in 1996.

'Sustainability is Freeman’s creed and how it impacts profitability and leadership, while communication and events all play their part, backed up by a company Wellness Charter.

'Design, innovation, and customer care sit harmoniously alongside Freeman’s sustainability agenda to deliver award-winning homes, embraced by the local communities they serve.'

The awards, considered to be the Oscars of the housebuilding industry, are renowned as the most prestigious accolades in new homes. They honour enterprising, customer-focused housebuilders, large and small, as well as housing associations.

Freeman Homes is no stranger to success at the WhatHouse? Awards, having won silver in 2017 for Best Small Housebuilder.

Launched in 1999, it is the largest division of MF Freeman Group, a family-owned and led organisation with a heritage of more than 55 years, based on the border of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire and operating in the south west.

CEO of MF Freeman Group, Luke Freeman, said: 'We couldn’t be more delighted with winning such a coveted accolade. This is testament to the passion and commitment of every single person on our team who has worked so hard for Freeman Homes to become the leading developer in sustainable housing.

'To be selected from such a wealth of industry talent and be recognised on a platform like this showcasing best practice and rewarding excellence is simply brilliant - we cannot thank the judges enough for choosing us.

'We’ve only just started on our mission to make cleaner, energy efficient living more accessible to homebuyers, and to deliver the many other benefits our developments bring to improve the quality of life for local residents.

'This award motivates us further to continue to uphold the high standard we’ve set.'

Freeman Homes builds around 100 homes a year, across three to four developments, the latest includes Severnbank in Newnham on Severn in Gloucestershire, along with Fownhope, St Weonards and Credenhill in Herefordshire.

Its goal is to build 100 per cent A-rated properties from 2023 onwards, with new homes featuring solar panels, air source heat pumps and electric vehicle chargers as well as habitat enhancement landscaping surrounding the developments.

Fourteen properties are still available at Newnham upon Severn, with five are designed specifically for the over 55s in a secure community of like-minded neighbours.

To find out more visit freemanhomes.co.uk.