Maidstone council completes two affordable housing schemes as part of 1,000-home plan

Maidstone Borough Council has announced the completion of Wilberforce House and Len Martin Court, two affordable housing schemes delivered with building partner Skillcrown Homes as part of the council’s wider programme to provide 1,000 affordable homes across the borough.

Residents in Maidstone who are priced out of private renting now have more options for secure, longer-term accommodation after the council completed the two schemes. The council says the homes will be allocated through its normal housing register process, meaning applicants will need to meet eligibility and local connection criteria to be considered.

The council posted the announcement on its official account, describing the completions as a step towards its 1,000-home target.

The 1,000-home programme sits at the heart of Maidstone Borough Council’s homelessness and housing strategy, which frames direct council-led delivery as a response to rising housing need and growing demand for emergency accommodation. According to the council’s own housing strategy documents, private market housing in Maidstone has become out of reach for many lower-income households, which the council argues makes a publicly led programme necessary. Homes delivered under the scheme are intended to be let on secure tenancies after an introductory period — offering more stability than much of the private rented sector.

The council’s delivery record shows some momentum. Its Annual Monitoring Report for 2022–2023 recorded 378 new affordable homes delivered in that year alone across the borough.

But the programme has not been without challenge. Critics have questioned whether large-scale council housebuilding is the best use of public money, and some local political opponents have argued that homes acquired or built under the programme should count within existing housing targets rather than being treated as additional supply on top of them. There are also broader concerns about overdevelopment and the pressure new housing places on local roads, schools, and other services across the borough.

Some opponents have raised the question of whether the council is, in effect, double-counting — presenting homes as new affordable supply while critics say they should sit within commitments the borough has already made.

The council has not published the exact number of homes completed specifically at Wilberforce House and Len Martin Court, so the precise contribution of these two schemes to the 1,000-home total is not yet clear. Skillcrown Homes is named as the delivery partner for the completed schemes.

The council’s housing register remains the route in for residents seeking one of the new homes — and those already on the register who meet local connection requirements are likely to be prioritised when allocations are made.

Key information

• Residents seeking affordable housing in Maidstone should apply through the council’s housing register and check they meet local connection and eligibility criteria
• The homes at Wilberforce House and Len Martin Court are intended for longer-term secure tenancies, not temporary accommodation
• Maidstone Borough Council’s housing strategy documents set out the full scope of the 1,000-home programme and how homes are allocated