Star Living, the Build-to-Rent arm of property developer and operator Strawberry Star, has successfully bought a site in the heart of Maidstone, Kent, with detailed planning permission for 172 apartments and over 1,100 sqm of commercial space.
The site at Mote Road had been earmarked by Maidstone Council as one of five priority regeneration areas across the town, and planners have already given the green light to the construction of two 12-storey apartment blocks that will bring 78 studio/one-bedroom apartments, 84 two-bedroom and ten three-bedroom homes to the site, along with an improved public realm and commercial space.
The site meets Star Living’s core requirements for its BTR projects – being in a well-connected commuter town with a vibrant high street, easy access into London and plenty of green spaces, countryside and cultural attractions nearby.
Chairman and founder of Strawberry Star, Santhosh Gowda, said: “We are delighted to have concluded negotiations on the Mote Road site which will be a strong part of our ongoing growth strategy and a key site in our Star Living portfolio. Maidstone is a thriving area with a significant employment base and a young and growing population who are looking for high-quality homes to rent, so we expect demand to be high for these homes, which will feature private balconies and roof-top terraces.”
“Our ongoing strategy to build boutique projects that can be completed swiftly will ensure that the people of Maidstone benefit from the new development as soon as possible. Our driving principle is to put the right homes in the right place, meeting customer requirements for places to live that are more spacious as well as more affordable, yet still with an easy commute to London.”
The Mote Road site was once home to a paper factory and the design of the new apartment blocks by Formation Architects uses this, as well as traditional Kentish architecture to provide inspiration for the contemporary buildings. For example, the historic Kent building material ragstone will be used in various ways at street level and in the landscaping, to set the new buildings in a historical context.
Mote Road will offer greener and more sustainable living, with an on-site car club, space heating supplied by a communal air source heat pump, and green roofs to encourage biodiversity. Apartments are situated to make the most of natural light, with many of them offering dual-aspect living, with far-reaching views over Maidstone.
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