Orchard Farm, Kent’s first authentic self-build community, today announced that it has submitted a planning application to Ashford Borough Council for the first phase of 25 self-build residential plots to hit the market in autumn 2023. Orchard Farm Kent Ltd. (OFKL) is a partnership between Steenvlinder, the community-driven developer for individual and collective self-builders, and Urbanise, a Kent-based developer.
Hans Sparreboom, founder and CEO at Steenvlinder, said: “As a developer, our overarching purpose is to empower self-builders to be able to shape their environment: not only as individuals but also as part of a wider community. We will encourage them to express their unique identities, by offering freedom of choice, within a framework of specific regulations which will help them create a cohesive and distinctive neighbourhood.”
Adam Roake, Owner at Urbanise, said: “Our aim is to create a community with a distinct sense of place and our inspiration in shaping the Orchard Farm community has been informed by the distinctive characteristics of East Kent. Guided by the typical configuration of individual farms and small hamlets, we have developed an inventive spatial plan and buildings will be set within this framework, allowing individual expression yet respectfully integrating the best of the local character.”
Speaking about their ‘landscape first’ approach, Adam added: “Our application is different – its focus is on the green public spaces and not the houses. Our future self-builders will design these, and each will be subject to a further submission to demonstrate compliance with the masterplan and relevant plot passport. We believe we have designed a high-quality public realm, which will make Orchard Farm a desirable place to live and an enhancement to Kennington as a whole.”
Before the planning application was finalised, Steenvlinder and Urbanise consulted widely with their neighbours and other interested parties, including three public consultations. The most recent of which was in July 2022 where they offered site visits.