Summerfield Commercial Converts Underused Town Centre Space into Homes and Workspaces
Apartments and retail unit in North Street, Taunton
Summerfield Commercial is actively revitalising town centres in Taunton, Tiverton, and Newquay by converting underutilised upper floors above high street shops into residential and commercial spaces.
With rising operational costs and the growing dominance of online retail, many high street retailers have reduced their physical presence or vacated premises, leaving upper floors empty or underused. This trend, combined with increasing pressure to provide more housing without encroaching on green spaces, has prompted initiatives to repurpose these vacant areas.
Summerfield, which manages an extensive portfolio of commercial properties across the South West, has responded by collaborating closely with tenants to offer flexible solutions. This approach has enabled the company to refurbish redundant upper floors, creating high-quality homes for rent and alternative commercial uses.
In Taunton High Street, Summerfield leased the ground floor of a building to an art gallery and transformed the two floors above into three one-bedroom apartments and one two-bedroom apartment, all of which are now fully occupied. Similarly, above the White Stuff store on North Street, where the retailer no longer required the entire building, Summerfield refurbished the upper floors to provide two two-bedroom apartments while White Stuff continues trading on the ground floor.
In Tiverton’s Fore Street, Summerfield owns a property leased to Superdrug. The retailer no longer needed the upper floors, historically arranged as flats, which Summerfield refurbished and subsequently let on the open market.
Additionally, Summerfield recently completed a comprehensive refurbishment of the first-floor space on Bank Street in Newquay, located above Holland & Barrett. This area is now leased to Plymouth City Bus, which operates the Go Cornwall Bus service, and uses the space as a rest area for its drivers.
Will Grant, Portfolio Director for Summerfield, commented: “Town centres have changed significantly in recent years. The rise of online shopping has led many retailers to reduce their physical footprint, leaving upper floors increasingly underutilised and, in many cases, vacant. We are working closely with our tenants across the portfolio to help them optimise their space, including the strategic recovery and repurposing of surplus upper floors for residential and alternative uses. In doing so, we are increasing the supply of town centre homes and, in turn, supporting the long term revitalisation of the high street.”
Established in 1823, Summerfield is a family-owned business based in Taunton, Somerset, with over 200 years of experience in property development. The company has earned multiple awards and is recognised for creating characterful residential and commercial spaces that blend sympathetic styling with timeless craftsmanship.
