Twelve modular homes to open at Blue Bell Hill for homeless families

Families facing homelessness in Tonbridge and Malling will soon have access to 12 new self-contained homes, after construction began on the former commuter car park at Blue Bell Hill. The council is currently spending around £2.2 million a year on temporary accommodation — with between 90 and 100 households on its waiting list — and says this is the first scheme of its kind in the borough.

The modular homes are being built off-site by Zed Pods Limited and will be assembled at Blue Bell Hill in September. Planning approval was unanimous. An on-site office will let housing staff manage the properties and support residents directly, which the council says will be particularly useful in the north of the borough, where finding suitable temporary accommodation has long been a problem.

Each home will carry an EPC A energy rating — the top band on the scale — with solar photovoltaic panels and an air source heat pump fitted as standard. The council says the low-carbon technologies are designed to reduce energy consumption and lower running costs for residents. The homes themselves are designed to last over 100 years.

Cllr Robin Betts, the council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Environment and Economy, said: “It’s great to be here today to mark the construction of these EPC A rated energy efficient homes. Everyone has a right to a decent place to live, and we are proud to be able to deliver this innovative modular housing project to support local families from Tonbridge and Malling.” Tom Northway, chairman of Zed Pods Ltd, said the project showed “how offsite construction can help deliver high-quality, energy-efficient homes”.

The council currently owns or leases around 30 properties across Tonbridge and Malling. Twelve homes won’t close that gap overnight. But the Blue Bell Hill site adds capacity the north of the borough has lacked, and modular construction means considerably less disruption than a traditional build.