Leading modular housing company ilke Homes has secured a site allocated for residential development in Rushden, Northamptonshire that has the potential to deliver up to 150 affordable homes for the local community.
The deal, brokered by Ann Taylor at Savills’ Nottingham office, has seen ilke Homes secure a nine-acre site. ilke Homes intends to work closely with East Northamptonshire Council, Rushden Town Council, and the local community in order to secure a planning permission which adheres to principles set out in the adopted Neighbourhood Plan.
The Neighbourhood Plan was prepared by Rushden Town Council in order to put in place a locally derived development framework which sets out visions and policies to manage and focus on growth opportunities within the town. The Neighbourhood Plan was officially adopted in 2018, covering a plan period up until 2031.
The announcement comes just a few weeks after Nottinghamshire County Council chose ilke Homes to deliver up to 140 modular homes on a redundant site in Arnold, Nottingham.
Delivering more affordable family housing in Rushden is vital. According to latest figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, there were 1,207 households on housing waiting lists in East Northamptonshire in 2019, a three percent year-on-year increase.
The UK government has made clear building more homes on brownfield sites is a key target of its nationwide housing strategy. Relaxing measures around planning applications on brownfield land was part of its major planning reforms, and is intended to boost the number of homes being built and aid the UK’s economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
By manufacturing homes offsite, ilke Homes is able to achieve huge carbon savings, both during construction and once homes are operational. By taking the majority of the build stage offsite, the company is able to significantly reduce vehicular movements to site, both helping to reduce carbon emissions and disruption to the local communities.
Precision-engineering techniques also mean that if granted full planning permission, the homes in Rushden will be some of the most energy-efficient in the country. ilke Homes is able to manufacture its homes to consistently achieve at least a ‘B’ Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating, with the majority achieving an ‘A’ – making them more energy-efficient than 92 percent of the UK’s housing stock.
ilke Homes manufacturers all homes along a production line at the company’s 250,000 sq. ft factory in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire.
Tom Heathcote, executive director of development at ilke Homes, said: “It’s been a pleasure to have worked with Savills to achieve this milestone.
“We now look forward to working with the local authority and the key stakeholders to unlock the site for the delivery of much-needed affordable family housing.
“If granted planning permission, ilke Homes will deliver up to 150 high-quality homes which will be some of the most sustainable in the UK thanks to our modular technology.”
Ann Taylor, director at Savills, said: “We are delighted to be working with ilke Homes to bring this vacant site forwards to deliver a sustainable housing scheme. We look forward to seeing this development unfold through the planning process and then on the ground, changing the landscape over the forthcoming years.”
