Roseanne Field reports on a high-end nine house development in a small village in Kent, built by an SME developer that prides itself on its local knowledge and respectful approach to schemes.
Situated just outside Maidstone in Kent, the village of Loose made an ideal spot for a small housing development by local SME developer Esquire Developments. Given its proximity to London, it offered potential homeowners the opportunity to commute to the capital in under an hour, while enjoying living in a countryside setting.
The semi-rural location, just outside the Loose Valley Conservation Area, meant gaining planning approval for any kind of development on the site was never going to be easy. An application for 15 dwellings had previously been turned down, before Esquire acquired the site in 2018.
Founded in 2011 by childhood friends Paul Henry and David Braddon, Esquire is based in Longfield in Kent. The pair pride themselves on their knowledge and understanding of the south east, and how the company utilises that to deliver homes that are responsive to and respectful of their location. “Through a community-focused approach to planning, strong design ethos and understanding of the housing market, Esquire secures a solid pipeline of sites and land options, and forges good relationships with local councils, contractors, other housebuilders, and communities,” explains head of sales and marketing, Alex Mattingly.
The developer’s in-house land and planning team also boast extensive local knowledge and over time have helped develop the relationships with local planning authorities and communities. “As an SME, we are totally flexible in our approach to land agreements and the terms of any potential contract,” the company says. This flexibility includes considering sites that range from two to 200 dwellings, short term planning applications or long-term local plan allocations, and including amenities such as nurseries, offices and other community asset buildings. The company has won several awards over the years both for specific developments and the company as a whole, including the Small Housebuilder of the Year Gold Award at the 2020 WhatHouse? Awards.
Esquire’s combination of understanding the local housing market, a flexible approach and a bespoke, high-end design offering allows Mattingly to claim that the firm “offers something different to our larger competitors.” She continues: “Everything we do reflects and respects the communities in which we are building and helping to create.”
This belief and confidence in their offering meant the developer was happy to take the risk on the site, despite it having been previously refused for development. Esquire formed an “excellent working relationship” with the landowner which, says Esquire head of land and planning, Andy Wilford, “helped maximise the development potential and minimise the planning risk.” The site was essentially a large rear garden, having previously been home to a swimming pool as well as being used for storage for vehicles and garden equipment.
Originally acquiring an option on the site directly from the landowner in 2019, Esquire then submitted an application in October 2019, though withdrew it due to feedback on the principle of the development. They held discussions with the local planning authority and submitted a revised application in November 2020 which was unanimously approved in February 2021.
“The adoption of a neighbourhood plan identified the site as being within the urban area of the village and recognised that design quality and lower density development was key,” explains Esquire head of construction, Pat Convey. “Our scheme for nine dwellings responded to the proximity of adjacent neighbours by delivering single storey dwellings in key locations, thus delivering a mix of dwellings that responded to the site’s characteristics in both design terms and housing needs.”
Work began onsite in May 2022, with some minor site clearance required – mostly clearing rubbish and removing the old swimming pool.
Development design
The final development of nine homes consisted of two three-bedroom bungalows, five three-bedroom houses, one four-bedroom house, and one five-bedroom house, all detached. They were designed to encircle a small community green, with each home also featuring its own garage, driveway with EV charging, and a private landscaped garden.
The houses are built utilising traditional methods – brick block and cavity construction. All homes feature open plan kitchen/dining areas; the two storey houses have separate living rooms while the two bungalows have an open plan kitchen/dining/living room. The four and five bedroom houses also include a downstairs study. All homes’ master bedrooms have an ensuite – as well as bedroom two in the five bed – and a main family bathroom. A single garage is attached to each property, with the five bed including a double garage with integrated workshop to the rear.
Sustainability forms a key part of what Esquire does: “We’re constantly reviewing our environmental measures in a bid to reduce the carbon emissions of our homes by 50% or more,” it says. All homes at Millers Field feature an air source heat pump as opposed to gas boiler – something the developer now does at all of its projects. These feed into an underfloor heating system downstairs and conventional radiators upstairs.
The homes are built with a fabric first approach, and the company claims “improved efficiency is inherent in our building processes and specifications.” The houses are built with an increased cavity wall thickness and materials are both “responsibly sourced and perform to the highest possible standards,” such as high specification window with a U-value of 1.1 W/m2K]. Wherever possible, the company uses local suppliers and locally sourced materials to reduce its carbon footprint. At Millers Field, the bricks came from Bespoke Brick Company in Rochester, based about an hour away, and all contractors were based in and around Kent, with many coming from Maidstone.
To further reduce carbon emissions, careful consideration is given to local transport links. All homes are also fitted with EV charging points as standard. LED downlights and low energy pendant fittings are used throughout the houses.
Correspondingly, the homes are finished to a high standard, a luxury Esquire believes is a key differentiator an SME developer can provide. An abundance of choice of finish was given to buyers who purchased off plan to personalise their homes. The kitchens were finished with a high grade laminate worktop, upstand and splashback in all homes bar the five beds, which have a quartz worktop and splashback. All homes also featured fully integrated appliances including Neff ovens, five ring induction hobs, fridge freezers and dishwashers.
The bathrooms included both rain and handheld showerheads, vanity units, and heated chrome towel rails. Porcelain wall and floor tiles were used, along with bespoke white painted staircases and oak handrails. All houses were wired for satellite television in the living area, dining room, study and all bedrooms, as well as including a wired-in video doorbell.
Landscaping forms an important part of Esquire’s sustainability policy. The company says it takes a “holistic” approach to development to offer a wide range of environmental benefits for customers. Masterplans are designed to allow for less homes and more open space – “inviting nature to bloom in both private gardens and public open spaces, with a mix of grassed areas and native planting for wildlife,” it says. The developer also includes “rejuvenated and expanded footpath networks” to encourage homeowners to reduce their car use, helped also by the development’s connection to public transport.
The landscaping at Millers Field comprised a central green space which “creates a focal vista as you enter the site from the driveway and through the walled entrance,” explains Wilford. He adds: “The central green space offers visual amenity and ecological enhancements within the development, and improves the spaciousness within
the site.” As well as the ecological benefits, this creates a community feel within the development, “allowing new homeowners to connect with neighbours,” says Mattingly.
Esquire also contributed financially to a local re-wilding scheme led by the Parish Council that backs onto the Millers Field site. “The contributions were used to improve accessibility to the woodland for the community and enhanced enjoyment of this space in the open countryside,” Wilford explains.
Construction started onsite in May 2022, with all properties completed by February 2024. The build phase reportedly ran smoothly aside from developments’ typical weather and supply chain-related delays.
Creating an impact
Being a small development doesn’t mean Millers Field hasn’t had an impact. The development has been received exceptionally well, not only by homeowners but the local community too. Mattingly explains further: “Having a smaller, more bespoke development really does add to the existing community feel of the village.” She continues: “The area and community feel was a key selling point for the development.”
One proud new owner of a house on the development had been searching for over two years for the perfect family home. When they found a house at Millers Field, it “straight away ticked all the boxes,” she explains. “Having purchased from national housebuilders over the years, it’s great to see that when using a regional housebuilder you get the service-led approach rather than just being treated like a number,” she says.
The development proved to be so popular it had over 80,000 views on Rightmove, with the nine homes receiving over 390 leads. The overall reaction has, Mattingly says, been “really positive, everyone loves it.”