New homes builder Persimmon, which is creating the Foxglove Heights development on the edge of Wells, will ramp up its operations after the Government eased restrictions on moving home earlier this week.

Persimmon's builders had already started upping tools on April 27, but on Friday its sales office will open its doors to potential customers.

The builder had originally shut all of its construction sites at the end of March.

The company said it had not relied on Government support to furlough its staff during the period, so is able to get them back to work quickly.

During the weeks that its sites were closed, Persimmon staff were testing a range of new methods for working safely during a pandemic.

"Now, as we re-start activity, this decision is also enabling us to get back to work swiftly and safely," said chief executive David Jenkinson.

Earlier this week, the Government said it would allow people to visit estate agents if they need to move homes.

The economy has been in lockdown for weeks in a bid to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The lockdown is thought to have put around £82 billion of transactions on hold in the property market.

The news follows similar moves from fellow housebuilders Taylor Wimpey, who are building the Rose Banks development next to Foxglove Heights off the A371, and Crest Nicholson, who are creating the Vicarage Fields development off the A39, which both said yesterday (May 13) they would scale up their works.

Mr Jenkinson said: "We support the Government's view that the housing sector has a key role to play in the UK's economic recovery.

"The urgent need for new homes has not been diminished by Covid-19 and the new measures announced by the Government will reopen the housing market and allow people to get moving again."