The first homes at the Westwood Lodge site in Poorhole Lane will go on sale this week.
Love Living Homes is launching its first collection of two, three and four-bedroom houses on February 23 at Westwood Acres.
Every property is available through shared ownership with prices starting at £73,750 for a 25 per cent share, with a five per cent deposit of £3,687.50 required for a two-bedroom house.
The development of 153 modular homes was approved in May 2021. An initial proposal for the site had been rejected by Thanet council in August 2015 but was approved on appeal by the Planning Inspectorate in February 2017.
However, former developer applicant Places For People Homes Ltd pulled out of the scheme and in 2020 Rooksmead Residential Ltd agreed terms with L&G Modular Homes on a revised set of proposals.
L&G Modular Homes made a series of amendments including moving new builds further away from the existing buildings and retaining more of the trees onsite. There have also been added habitat and biodiversity features as part of a ten year woodland plan.
The Westwood Lodge project is the third build by L&G in England with others in Yorkshire and Bristol, using modular homes built in Yorkshire and made to the highest energy performance standard. Using features such as solar panels and high-quality insulation within the fabric of the houses means properties attain an energy performance certificate rating of ‘A.’ The homes also use less water and have lower carbon emissions both during construction and when they’re lived in
The Grade II listed main house of Westwood Lodge, built in 1864, the 17th Century cottage and the gate piers remain intact on the site..
An extra 2.89ha of woodland has been retained compared to the first proposal, wildlife corridors, wildflower areas, hedgehog highways, a pond and swift, hedgehog and bat boxes are also included.
The new homes are flexibly designed to meet the needs of a range of residents. Some properties will provide contemporary, open-plan dining and kitchen areas, while others offer a more traditional layout.
Love Living Homes says 8,500 new trees will be planted and new woodland walks, a landscaped communal garden and green corridors created throughout the development.
With Shared Ownership at Westwood Acres means people can buy a share of a property between 10 per cent or up to 75 per cent of its full value.
A five per cent deposit is needed with a mortgage to cover the rest of the share and rent on the remaining share.
A household that earns £80,000 or less is eligible to use the scheme.
In 2020 Thanet Trees group demonstrated, dressed as zombies, against tree clearance at the site nd the possibility that it may have been a former medieval plague burial pit but a heritage study carried out as part of the application says this could not be confirmed.
To make an appointment with the sales team at Westwood Acres visit www.lovelivinghomes.co.uk/westwood-acres or call 01474 528285.
Westwood Lodge history
Westwood Lodge was built in 1864 as a holiday retreat for Spencer Herepath, a Kensington stockbroker whose firm specialised in South American Railway securities.
The architect is not at present known but there is speculation that it could have been Henry Winnock Hayward (1825-1893) who had built houses of a similar style in Phillimore Place, Kensington near Herepath’s London residence.
Herepath’s daughter Marion married Linley Sambourne, the celebrated Punch illustrator, in 1874. After Spencer Herepath died in 1884, Mrs Herepath lived there until the property was sold in 1893.
The next owner was Harry Rickards (1841-1911), a celebrated music hall artist who became a music hall impresario in both England and Australia. This was his English estate. By 1911 he was considered probably the largest single-handed music hall manager and proprietor in the world. Subsequent owners were the Farrell family. The property has been in continuous ownership by one family from 1948 until the present day. From 1929 the estate was used for farming and market gardening.
The entrance piers, gates and wall to Westwood Lodge were built circa 1865 in Gothic style.
The 17th century flint cottage is possibly listed as no 599 on sheet 2 of the Tithe Apportionment of 1838 for St Peter’s and Broadstairs, a house and garden owned and occupied by Mary Packer, connected with three arable fields. After 1865 it came into the same ownership as Westwood Lodge.
No doubt for the rich millionares from london
Why on earth would a rich millionaire enter into a shared ownership deal. The politics of envy and need to attack anyone that might have a bit more than average seemingly lacks any ability for constructive criticism. Anyone buying into the scheme needs to read their agreement very very carefully, from the article it would seem it’s not possible to gain 100% ownership, Legal and general retaining the remainding percentage and overall control of the site.
Interestingly LC, no 100% price was shown in the article, is there a reason for this Kathy? Why I ask is a friend researched Shared Ownership, and found the properties being offered were well over priced to start with! This meant paying for at least 25% when in fact the value was considerably less, probably in the range of 15%! If so it would make reselling later very difficult, if someone has already paid into an over priced property, so buyer beware!
Is the shared ownership restricted to locals ?
Be warned as exposed in a recent documentary if someone buys 25% in a property not only are you paying back the 25% In mortgage payments but you have to pay rent on the 75% and the rents can be as high as the freeholder wants them to be. For example mortgage payment £375 per month Rent £1200 Per month as seen on TV.
You’re right Bill I would not entertain this
Plus ground rent and service charges. One big con.
What is a ‘modular home’?
A modular home is sections are made in a factory setting and assembled on site. I think.
Prefab?
Yes. A very good idea, as it provides a much faster way of building than conventional techniques do.
They were built so quickly!!
Yes but their not built to last, in about 15years time they will start to decay and be worth nothing!.
Like other prefabs have done?
Other prefabs built years ago were built to last these however are being built with one thing and ond thing only in mind,LETS make a quick buck.
Prefabs had a planned “lifespan” of 10 to 15 years.
Your point being ??,
If they are only built to last such a short time what’s the point??
What utter rubbish , the developer wants to sell on a shared ownership basis and adbertises that the help to buy scheme is applicable. So given the normal mortgage period is 25 years they need to have a design life well in excess to be mortgagable.
I own 29 houses and 15 flats in Kent and Sussex, most purchased at auction. I rent the property’s out at the most affordable rents possible, I prefer to rent to those with families with low to modest incomes. As long as the rents cover the insurance / upkeep / decoration. I’m happy. If any of the tenants fall on hard times I help them. I don’t think I’m an angel I just think being kind and responsible is a lot less stressful than being greedy. I’m not suggesting the owners of these new houses are greedy and I’m sure many will find the property’s a good way to get on the property ladder but there is other ways of living at peace rather than worrying how to meet the monthly mortgage/ rents.
Hi Ann,
Do you have any properties available for rent?
You sound like a perfect landlady.
Looking for my forever home. Being evicted soon as Landlord selling.
Kindest regards,
These house at Westwood Lodge are not being built as short-lived prefabs. Other European countries have been building modular homes for years.
Stuff the “property ladder”, what we need is more social housing and the withdrawal of the right-to-buy.
So where do those live who effectively will never be eligible for social housing?
Will our channel crossing friends fill them
We could have done with MANSTON being open with all the airplanes being diverted to Manchester away from LONDON.
Crochet, Sorry no I don’t have any properties in this area, my tenants are all long term, I don’t do the six months contracts or any of that nonsense the properties are theirs as long as they wish to live in them. However i do attend auctions regularly so if I see something suitable I will normally buy it. If I do have a home to rent I advertise in the nursing times / The Lady magazine.