2 minute read - 8th August 2022
ilke Homes to deliver 140 factory-built homes in Hastings
Modular housing manufacturer ilke Homes has partnered with housing provider Orbit Homes to deliver 140 factory-built homes in Hastings. 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.
ilke Homes is to provide 140 factory-built homes from its Knaresborough production facility for a site in Hastings / Picture: ilke Homes
Precision-engineering techniques mean that ilke Homes will be able to deliver the 140 homes in half the time of traditional methods, due to most of the construction stage taking place offsite. By manufacturing offsite, ilke Homes is also able to benchmark standards at numerous stages of the build cycle. Works are expected to start on site in autumn 2022, with the first homes being installed in summer 2023. Completion of the scheme is expected in 2024.
This will be 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. 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.
Tom Heathcote, executive director of development 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. Subject to the clearance of pre-commencement conditions, we are excited to commence on site later this year. 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.”
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.”