The team behind a new Tees Valley residential development has earned industry recognition for the quality of its work. Banks Homes’ Cornfields development, on the southern edge of Yarm, has received a Quality Recognition Award from Premier Guarantee.
The national structural warranty and building control provider assesses residential developments across the UK. Premier Guarantee judges each development against standards achieved by housebuilders nationwide. Surveyors inspect sites monthly across several quality categories.
To earn a QRA, housebuilders must meet the required standards for at least six consecutive months. The Cornfields will now go forward for consideration for Premier Guarantee’s annual Excellence Awards next summer.
High specification homes take shape
A five-strong Banks Homes direct site management team led by site manager Steve Graham and an array of local contractors are building 109 high-quality family homes at The Cornfields. It is the first development to feature show homes based on designs from Banks Homes’ bespoke range of new homes.
A total of 11 different property designs are available. Each of the three-to-five-bedroom properties are fitted with smart heating systems, air source heat pumps and EV charging points.
The four and five-bedroom homes come with ground floor underfloor heating as standard. Selected house types in Banks Homes’ Elevated range having 2.6m high ceilings on the ground floor.
Dan Hodgson of Premier Design said, “Our inspections adhere to exacting quality standards for every aspect of the life cycle of a development, from the management of the site and the first foundations being laid right through to the overall quality of workmanship and the final finishing touches within each new home.
“Only a small proportion of the projects we see reach the standards required to earn this level of recognition. However, the Banks Homes team has consistently shown how it’s doing just that every time we’ve visited The Cornfields.
“They’ve also been very professional and easy to work with in terms of providing all the information and access we need to complete our inspections. It makes the whole process that much smoother and more meaningful.”
Founded in 2023 and part of the County Durham-headquartered Banks Group, Banks Homes is building a portfolio of high-quality residential sites across North East England and Yorkshire. Developments are also under way at sites in West Rainton, Wynyard and Hambleton in North Yorkshire.
Commitment to build quality
Joe Cable, senior project manager at the Banks Group, added, “From the very beginning, we set out our stall to deliver a higher build quality and higher specifications than our peers in the housebuilding industry. This sort of recognition is proof of how we’re doing so.
“This award is testament to the exemplary ways of working that we set out for the Banks Homes team, our sub-contractors and our suppliers before a brick has been laid at our sites, as well as to the work of our site managers in upholding them and our site teams in delivering them on a day-to-day basis.
“It also provides reassurance to our customers about the exceptional quality of the homes that we’re building for them and that we are living up to the promises we make as part of our customer journey.”
