Nine new homes ready for local people to move in from next week

Local families will soon benefit from new homes as nine new build properties have been completed in the latest phase of Thanet District Council’s Affordable Homes Programme.

Nine properties at Kingston Close and Lancaster Close in Ramsgate have been built on sites that were previously blocks of garages. Two of the homes are complete and now let, while the remaining seven are expected to have move-in checks completed in a matter of days. 

Tenants of these properties are local people, including families, who are on the council’s housing list and who have the highest need. Existing council tenants have been prioritised for the new properties, which means their previously unsuitable or overcrowded homes will be released from the housing list. As such, more homes will now become available to support other local families.

The families assigned to the new development will be moving in, on a staggered basis, in the coming weeks. 

The nine new homes are part of the council’s Phase Two Affordable Homes Programme, which is a £2.5million redevelopment of three sites comprising 12 units, within an established residential area of Ramsgate. The Kingston Close/Lancaster Close redevelopment specifically provides a mixture of detached and semi-detached houses and bungalows which meet Lifetime Homes standards*.

Funding for these projects was secured by the council’s Housing team in 2014 after it submitted successful bids to the Government’s Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr Helen Whitehead said: “I first visited this site back in 2019 and again more recently in 2020. The change and progress of the development that I have been able to see first-hand is amazing, and I am delighted that people can now move in. 

“Our Affordable Homes Programme is an integral part of fulfilling what the council has set out to do as part of its housing strategy. Residents in Thanet deserve high quality homes to be available to them, but this is only part of the process. It is equally important to make sure that residents can afford to live and thrive within our communities. Providing homes like the ones in this development is just one part of the process so we can help improve the outlook of housing for local people.”

The completion of these developments was delayed slightly due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the unfortunate demise of local contractor, Coombs (Canterbury) Ltd. However, the council promptly assigned Folkestone-based Jenner (Contractors) Ltd in January 2021 to complete the final stages of work.

Tony Collins at Jenner Contractors, said: “With the project facing the most unfortunate of circumstances at a critical stage of delivery, Jenner were delighted to step-in and work proactively with the team at Thanet District Council to complete the project and ensure the new tenants could begin to enjoy their new homes without further delay.”

Phase Three of the Affordable Homes Programme continues nearby at King Street and Sussex Street in Ramsgate. All of the 26 properties will meet energy efficiency standards set out within building regulations for new properties. The apartment blocks in this phase also have solar panel systems installed.

All developments incorporate some soft landscaping, such shrubs and turf where possible. Plant species have also been chosen to help improve biodiversity and the types of plants selected will need little upkeep from tenants.

*These are a set of principles applied to general needs housing to provide accessible and convenient accommodation for a wide range of the population, from households with young children to older people, and individuals with temporary or permanent physical or sensory impairment.