Modular housing developer ilke Homes has announced plans for its first scheme in Kent. 

The company has secured an 11-acre site in Staplehurst where it will develop up to 94 factory-built properties.

Subject to planning consent, the site will deliver a mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes. 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 more than 1,000 homes across five sites. 

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 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. 

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.”