From brownfield to bright starts as local families move into new council homes

Thanet District Council has successfully delivered 49 high-quality, energy-efficient council homes across four sites in Ramsgate and Margate.

This marks the completion of phase 4 of its affordable homes programme, on deadline and within budget.

The ambitious project, which launched in September 2024, has transformed underused brownfield land – including former parking areas and a long-vacant pub site – into modern residential developments. Every home is owned and managed by the council and let exclusively to local households from the council’s Housing Register, at affordable rents, no higher than the Local Housing Allowance.

All 49 homes have achieved an EPC ‘A’ rating, the highest possible energy efficiency grade. By using high-performance insulation, solar panels and air source heat pumps, each home produces just 0.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, compared to the national average of six tonnes. This supports the council’s environmental goals but also protects residents against rising energy costs.

The four completed sites are:

• Clements Road, Ramsgate: 9 flats on a former parking area.
• Staner Court, Ramsgate: 11 family houses on a former garage site.
• Tomlin Drive, Margate: 12 family houses replacing underused garage blocks.
• Dane Valley Arms, Margate: 17 homes on the site of a former pub that had been vacant for over a decade.

Every home has a Local Lettings Plan, designed to make sure it is let to the people most in need of safe, secure and affordable housing. Priority is given to applicants from the postcode areas surrounding each site, helping to keep people connected to the neighbourhoods they already call home.

Thirty percent of the homes have been directly allocated to local households currently in temporary accommodation, including families with young children and people with urgent medical or welfare needs. Accessible and wheelchair-adapted units are matched to households with specific mobility and disability requirements.

The remaining homes are advertised through Kent Home Choice and allocated through the council’s Housing Register – a transparent, fair process that puts Thanet families first. 

Mr and Mrs Hitch at Staner Court, Ramsgate said: “The home is perfect, so comfortable. It still feels a bit surreal as we were in temporary accommodation for nearly two years; we’re really happy here. The energy efficiency is amazing. For a household of six we spend about a quarter of the amount we used to on our gas and electricity, it’s a big saving for us.”

So far, 39 of the 49 new homes have been let to local people at affordable rent, with more families moving in over the coming weeks. Of these, 15 households were previously in temporary accommodation, provided by the council at significant cost. Thanks in part to its acquisition programme, the council has significantly reduced spend on temporary accommodation by providing permanent homes and in house temporary accommodation to keep families in Thanet. The homelessness prevention work by the Housing Options team also helps to keep families in accommodation, and support them to maintain tenancies.

Cllr Helen Whitehead, Cabinet Member for Housing at Thanet District Council, said: “I am incredibly proud to see these 49 homes completed and ready for local families. Our priority for housing isn’t just the creation of houses; it’s about providing homes, communities, security and a high standard of living for our residents,  particularly those who need them most.

“We are working hard to keep people who might otherwise be placed in out of area accommodation, in Thanet. Combining this with our development programme has helped bring families home. It has also provided them with homes that will reduce housing and energy costs. The creation of our three and four bed units at Tomlin Drive is a perfect example of us supporting local families to move into council homes that were very much needed.

“This programme doesn’t just build houses; it creates stable, lasting homes for Thanet families, in Thanet communities, whilst providing jobs for Thanet residents.

“I am acutely aware of the level of need for genuinely affordable housing in Thanet. By focusing on the needs of local people and building to the highest environmental standards, we are ensuring that Thanet remains a place where people can afford to live and thrive. 

“These developments, their design, cost efficiency and environmental credentials are a credit to everyone who worked on them. Shaping these designs and priorities has been a collective effort. The work of our officers and contractors has been exemplary, from consultation through to allocation and in ongoing resident support .

“At Thanet District Council we deliver homes for Thanet together. These homes are the perfect example of the importance of high-quality housing. This programme shows how well we work together, and just how many professionals work tirelessly to provide these much needed homes.”

The programme was supported by funding from Homes England’s Affordable Homes Programme 2021–26 and the Brownfield Land Release Fund. It represents a significant investment in the local economy, with Ramsgate-based contractor WW Martin Ltd delivering the homes, using a workforce that was 90% local to Thanet. 

Trevor Codd, Director at WW Martin Ltd, said: “As a local business, we are proud to have worked as construction partner with Thanet District Council on this project. Their forward-thinking approach to providing high-quality, energy-efficient homes is commendable and helps to set a benchmark for sustainable, affordable housing delivery.

“Alongside the homes themselves, the project has supported local employment, skills development and community engagement, which we are delighted to have been able to deliver.”

Beyond bricks and mortar, WW Martin delivered a social value programme. This included apprenticeships for local people, career engagement days with students at EKC Broadstairs College, and local community volunteering activities including litter picks. The team also refurbished the Dunkirk Memorial in Ramsgate and the Manston Village War Memorial, ensuring these sites of remembrance are restored and maintained for the communities they serve.

Following the successful completion of Phase 4, the council is now focused on the long-term management of these assets and identifying future opportunities for affordable housing delivery across the district.

The council is also proposing to refurbish an underused building on Grosvenor Place in Margate into 11 self-contained flats for people in urgent need of somewhere safe to live. It is expected that the planning application will be submitted in April 2026. If approved, work could start on site in January 2027, with residents moving in from January 2028.

Photographs and film footage of the Staner Court and Clements Road developments in Ramsgate are available on the WW Martin website. 

Anyone who is interested in learning more about the council’s housing programmes can find out more on the website.