ilke Homes has secured an 11-acre site in Staplehurst, Kent for the development of up to 94 factory-built homes.
Subject to planning consent, the development will deliver a mix of two, three and four bedroom homes and achieve significant biodiversity net gain through the provision of open green spaces and pocket parks. The scheme is also expected to deliver 38 affordable homes.
The announcement marks the company’s continued expansion in the South East region, where it is already committed to delivering in excess of 1,000 homes across five sites. It follows news that ilke Homes, in partnership with Octopus Energy, is to roll out the UK’s first homes to guarantee residents zero energy bills.
The two pioneering British tech firms are launching the partnership on a site in Essex where ilke Homes is delivering the UK’s largest zero-carbon housing development.
ilke Homes, a company that has grown its pipeline to 3,500 homes, has secured the site under its ‘turnkey’ offering by which it acquires land, gains planning permission, manufactures the homes and develops the site.
Precision-engineering techniques mean that ilke Homes will be able to deliver the 94 homes in half the time of traditional methods, thanks to most of the construction stage taking place offsite. By manufacturing offsite, the homes delivered will be of the highest quality, as ilke Homes is able to benchmark standards at numerous stages of the build cycle.
By harnessing artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital design, the modular housing company is capable of creating homes that are incredibly well insulated, meaning less heat escapes, consequently reducing bills.
The cost-of-living crisis is set to deepen come October after Ofgem’s chief executive, Jonathan Brearley, told MPs on the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee that he would write to the chancellor telling him he expected the energy price cap to be “in the region of £2,800” when it is reviewed later this year. In response the Chancellor has announced a package of short-term measures to support households with increased bills this winter.
A full detailed planning application has been submitted to Maidstone Borough Council and has been validated. Subject to planning, the first factory-built homes will begin to be installed from winter 2023 onwards.
Tom Heathcote, executive director of development at ilke Homes, said: “We are incredibly pleased to have secured this sizeable opportunity in a new county for the SE Region. We look forward to working with both local planning officials and other stakeholders to progress the proposals through planning to deliver a truly sustainable and well-designed community that will be providing much-needed, high-quality housing for the area. As a gas-free scheme, employing the use of ASHP and solar PV technology, ilke Homes is actively helping Maidstone Borough Council, who have declared a climate emergency, reduce carbon emissions associated with the construction and operation of new build homes.”
