Star Living Signs Deal to Build 172 Rental Homes on Maidstone Brownfield Site

Star Living, the Build to Rent arm of property developer and operator Strawberry Star, has successfully completed a deal to buy a redundant car park in the heart of Maidstone town centre in 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.

Ideally situated for the vibrant town centre and in walking distance to two train stations, the site meets Star Living’s core requirements for its Build to Rent 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.

Santhosh continues: “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.”

Before it was a car park, 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.

The planned buildings, mainly built in brick, with the blocks stepped to reduce the mass, were praised by Maidstone Council’s planning officers, who said it “will have a significantly positive impact upon the townscape”.

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.

The development forms part of Strawberry Star’s expansion plans which will see around c.2,000 homes in the pipeline by the end of the year. The company’s key USP is the range of different property services that it provides, including capital, development, estate management, lettings, property management and sales, allowing it to offer a one-stop shop for customers whether they are a homebuyer, renter, landlord or investor.

For more information on Mote Road, please contact Strawberry Star on 0207 437 1000 or [email protected].