News in brief - Kent newsletter 28th July 2011

News stories from our subscriber newsletter, published 28th July 2011.

New luxury show home in East Malling to be unveiled this weekend

This Saturday and Sunday (30th and 31st July) is the perfect time to see the new show house being launched by Hillreed Homes at Oast Court Farm, its development of new homes in East Malling in Kent. With just two properties left on this exclusive development of just eight properties in the Kent countryside, there's little opportunity left to snap up one of the unique homes.

The new show home is the ‘Nettlestead', a luxury four-bedroom mid-terrace that has a generous rear garden and comes with two single garages, all for £480,000. At 1,475 sq ft, the property boasts a spacious interior upstairs and downstairs. On the ground floor, the hallway leads off to a study, full-length kitchen-dining room and separate lounge, which opens out onto the rear garden.

Upstairs, many buyers will be taken with the master bedroom suite, which not only has a private shower room, but also a dressing area for that extra bit of luxury. There's also a good-sized family bathroom and each of the other three bedrooms has useful, built-in storage.

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Planning permission granted for new homes in Dartford

Dartford Borough Council has granted planning permission for a development of new homes in Kent at the 15.1-acre former Stone House hospital site. The proposals were submitted by development partners Ward Homes, the PJ Livesey Group, Moat and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

The detailed plans involve the creation of 260 new homes, comprising 167 new-build houses and apartments and 93 converted homes, as well as the transformation of the existing chapel building into offices.

Naisha Polane of the HCA says: "The development will not only deliver new and affordable homes, but also construction jobs and this will be a great boost to the Kent community."

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HCA funding will help deliver 80,000 new affordable homes

As many as 80,000 new affordable homes for sale and to rent will be delivered by 2015, after the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) allocated almost £1.8 billion of funding to 150 housing associations, local authorities, new home developers and other affordable housing providers through its Affordable Homes Programme. Click on the link for a regional breakdown of the Affordable Homes Programme funding.

The funding means that that the government is now expected to surpass its target of delivering 150,000 affordable homes over the next four years, despite much scepticism from various property professionals.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps said: "There were some who predicted doom and said very few would want to be involved in this radical new approach. Others said it would work in the south east but nowhere else. But we now have a wealth of strong proposals, putting us on track to deliver up to 170,000 new affordable homes across the country over the next four years."

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Moat gearing up to deliver affordable homes with FirstBuy

Housing association Moat is set to assist prospective homebuyers in Kent, Essex and Sussex get on the property ladder with the Government's new FirstBuy assistance scheme, in its role as HomeBuy Agent for the region.

FirstBuy is a scheme that provides equity loans to help first-time buyers purchase a new-build home on selected developments. Purchasers must put down a minimum of 80% of the market value of a property, via a five per cent deposit and 75 per cent mortgage, with the Government and housebuilder jointly funding the balancing 20% equity loan between them.
The first sale completions are set for late August or early September. Anyone considering buying a property with FirstBuy needs to undergo an eligibility test with Moat. Once accepted, they will be offered the chance to purchase one of the thousands of new homes being sold under the scheme.

Moat's Director of Sales and Marketing, Marilyn DiCara, says: "First-time buyers are struggling more than ever to get a foot on the property ladder, so FirstBuy has come at the perfect time. It allows them to become homeowners, without the pressure of a huge deposit or the difficulty of hunting down the right mortgage. We're really pleased to continue to play our part in helping people to buy their first home."

New homes boost in new planning framework

Developers have generally welcomed the government's aim to streamline the planning system, by consolidating the existing 1,000-page book of local planning policy into one 52-page document.

The draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) - published for consultation recently by the Minister of State for Decentralisation, Greg Clark MP - is designed to speed up the planning process and establish a clear policy in favour of development, including more desperately needed new homes and economic growth.

Liz Peace, chief executive of the British Property Federation, said: "Planning policy should be streamlined, succinct and to the point if it is to deliver the growth and sustainable development that this country needs. The new draft Framework follows closely the version submitted by the Practitioners Advisory Group which fully incorporated these principles. On that basis we will have no problem in giving today's Framework our ringing endorsement."

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