Work begins on Icklesham housing development

Work to build 15 new homes on former farmland in Icklesham is underway.
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The homes, located along Icklesham’s Main Road, are due to be ready next summer.

All 15 properties will be prioritised for those with a connection to the village, according to housing provider Hastoe. The majority will be available for social rent, though three will be offered through shared ownership.

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To celebrate the start of construction, representatives from development partners Hastoe, Icklesham Parish Community Land Trust (IPCLT), Icklesham Parish Council, and Rother District Council were joined on the site at the end of June by councillor Terry Byrne, Rother District Council’s portfolio holder for housing and homes.

Breaking the ground at a new development in Icklesham (from L-R: Joss Bounsall of Westridge Construction; Ulrike Maccariello and Matt Pritchard of Hastoe, Cllr Terry Byrne, Peter Turner of Icklesham Parish Council; Geoff Foot of IPCLT, Malcolm Johnston of Rother District Council; and Scott Quinn of Westridge Construction. Picture supplied by Hastoe SUS-210607-112643001Breaking the ground at a new development in Icklesham (from L-R: Joss Bounsall of Westridge Construction; Ulrike Maccariello and Matt Pritchard of Hastoe, Cllr Terry Byrne, Peter Turner of Icklesham Parish Council; Geoff Foot of IPCLT, Malcolm Johnston of Rother District Council; and Scott Quinn of Westridge Construction. Picture supplied by Hastoe SUS-210607-112643001
Breaking the ground at a new development in Icklesham (from L-R: Joss Bounsall of Westridge Construction; Ulrike Maccariello and Matt Pritchard of Hastoe, Cllr Terry Byrne, Peter Turner of Icklesham Parish Council; Geoff Foot of IPCLT, Malcolm Johnston of Rother District Council; and Scott Quinn of Westridge Construction. Picture supplied by Hastoe SUS-210607-112643001

Councillor Byrne said: “This ground-breaking housing project offers affordable, sustainable homes to the local people of Icklesham.

“The council is delighted to be working in partnership with Rother’s very first Community Land Trust, Icklesham Parish CLT, and Hastoe to deliver the scheme, and we look forward to working with other CLTs in the near future.

“The new homes have been designed to lower energy consumption, helping to reduce fuel poverty in rural areas, and will continue to remain affordable ensuring future generations are able live in their local area.”

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Hastoe and Icklesham Parish CLT are working with a number of other local partners to bring the homes to life, including Icklesham Parish Council, architect firm ECE Architecture, contractors Westridge Construction and employer’s agent McCreath Construction Consultants.

Cllr Terry Byrne celebrates the start of construction for new homes in Icklesham with representatives from Hastoe, IPCLT, Icklesham Parish Council, Rother District Council and Westridge Construction. Picture supplied by Hastoe SUS-210607-112632001Cllr Terry Byrne celebrates the start of construction for new homes in Icklesham with representatives from Hastoe, IPCLT, Icklesham Parish Council, Rother District Council and Westridge Construction. Picture supplied by Hastoe SUS-210607-112632001
Cllr Terry Byrne celebrates the start of construction for new homes in Icklesham with representatives from Hastoe, IPCLT, Icklesham Parish Council, Rother District Council and Westridge Construction. Picture supplied by Hastoe SUS-210607-112632001

Over £3.7 million is being invested into the new Icklesham development, including just under £2.4 million from Hastoe as well as additional grant funding of £1 million from Homes England and £297,000 from Rother District Council.

Geoff Foot, chairman of the Icklesham Parish CLT, said: “We are proud that our mission to provide affordable homes for Icklesham people has at last come to fruition. We look forward to the successful completion next year.

“We also want to thank all the agencies involved for their help and cooperation, particularly Action in Rural Sussex (AiRS) without who it might not have been possible.”

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Construction for the new homes has begun following the launch of Hastoe’s own building standard for all its new-build homes in spring. Hastoe says it tailors all its developments to fit within their village setting, and ensures all new homes ‘meet the same minimum requirements in terms of design, sustainability and size’.

Ulrike Maccariello, development director at Hastoe, said: “Our New-Build Standard provides a firm commitment to building beautiful housing in rural areas. Our homes are also highly energy-efficient, making them comfortable and affordable for our residents to live in.”

Anyone who’s keen to rent one new homes and meets the local connection criteria can apply online when they become available via Rother District Council’s Social Housing platform. For those interested in Shared Ownership, please visit Hastoe’s shared ownership webpage to find out more.

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