Leading modular housing pioneer ilke Homes has entered into a land led package deal with Orbit Homes to deliver 140 affordable homes in Harrow Lane, Hastings.

Hastings Borough Council granted Reserved Matters Approval for the 12.4-acre site in March 2022. Out of the 140 homes being delivered, 84 are to be delivered as zero-carbon, meaning they will emit no operational emissions via utilities such as electricity and heating. Each of the homes will be fitted with an air source heat pump (ASHP) and solar panels which, when combined, will provide clean energy.

The entire scheme – which will deliver a mix of apartments and houses, ranging in sizes from one to four bedrooms homes – will be gas-free, running on renewable power generated from the ASHPs and solar panels which will combine to help heat the home more sustainably.

The announcement marks the second time ilke Homes has partnered with Orbit Homes, having already delivered 25 homes for the housebuilder in Wellesbourne, Warwickshire. Orbit Homes, which creates and builds diverse, multi-tenure developments across the Midlands, East and South East of England, opted to use modern methods of construction (MMC) due to the significant speed, quality and energy-efficiency benefits that ilke Homes’ advanced offsite manufacturing techniques deliver.

Acting as a full turnkey developer, ilke Homes has been responsible for securing the land and gaining planning permission and will now manufacture the homes and develop the site. Once complete, Orbit Homes will own or manage all 140 homes.

Following a competitive tender process, Hastings Borough Council chose ilke Homes to develop the site in October 2021 due to the company’s ability to demonstrate best value, accelerated delivery and high levels of sustainability. The 140 homes will be delivered as 100% affordable tenure, comprising 70 shared ownership homes and 70 affordable rent homes.

House prices in Hastings have reached record highs in recent months, so ramping up the delivery of more affordable homes is deemed vital by both the council and local stakeholders. Overall, sold prices in Hastings over the last year were 4 percent up on the previous year and 22 percent up on the 2019 peak of £241,129.

Precision-engineering techniques mean that ilke Homes will be able to deliver the 140 affordable 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.

The first homes will be installed in Summer 2023. Completion of the scheme is expected in 2024.

Matt Suggit, Development Director at ilke Homes, said: “We have enjoyed working closely with Hastings Borough Council’s Estates Team and the local authorities Planning Department to bring forward our proposals for the site at Harrow Lane. ilke Homes is proud to be delivering an entirely gas-free scheme, with 84 of the homes to be delivered as zero-carbon for our partner of choice, Orbit Homes. As a company, we continue to pioneer a sustainable and future proofed housing typology in response to the climate crisis.”

Cllr Maya Evans, Deputy Leader and portfolio holder for housing, commented: “Hastings is in a housing crisis, there’s a chronic lack of available affordable accommodation for local people. In this context we are extremely pleased to have this project moving forward, the homes will be high quality fabric first sustainably constructed homes for local people at affordable rents. As a socially minded council who prioritise local people on low incomes, alongside the climate emergency, Hastings Borough Council is committed to delivering 500 affordable rented homes, and this is a great start. We are looking forward to seeing local people and families moving into their new homes.”

Helen Moore, Group Director of Orbit Homes, added: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with ilke Homes, to deliver a mix of affordable rent and shared ownership properties in Hastings; which is a core area of operation for us. The delivery of off-site modular homes, which boast energy-efficient and environmentally friendly credentials, aligns with our 2025 Strategy to increase the number of affordable homes we deliver utilising Modern Methods of Construction.

“The 84 net carbon zero homes will not only support our Orbit Earth initiative which seeks to minimise the impact of our activities but will also allow us to fully evaluate and then articulate the benefits to our customers of living in a net zero carbon new build home.”