ilke Homes creates hundreds of jobs in Flaxby amid housing 'revolution'

ilke Homes also expects to sign its first deal for a housing development in the York area shortly, following others in Essex and across the country.

The company has been building modular homes at its Flaxby factory since 2018, with growth fuelled by a £100 million joint-venture with major developer Places for People and a £30 million investment from the government’s housing agency, Homes England.

Staffing at the firm has grown from 450 in January this year to 1,100 today, ‘a high percentage’ of them employed locally, with the company introducing a second shift at the site, close to the A1, earlier this year.

With the homes built on-site at Flaxby, they can then be transported to various locations and assembled on site in a few days, meaning they are built in half the time of traditional methods.

Further recruitment is also underway to help it deliver a ‘pipeline’ of more than 3,500 homes.

“We have grown dramatically in the past few months,” said Head of Marketing Sian Foster.

ilke Homes (Image: Picture courtesy of Ilke Homes)

Sian credits the success of the business on the quality of the product, which she says is down to it employing tradesmen directly, rather than using sub-contractors.

“We have construction teams at 56 sites across the UK. There is nothing like this on this scale,” she said.

The company also has its own academy to train staff, and it is seeking teaching staff too!

“There’s a large amount of investment going on,” she said.

Sian says the country faces three challenges- climate change, a housing shortage and the energy crisis.

Executive Chairman Dave Sheridan says such challenges are behind the growth of Ilke Homes.

He said: “In 2018 we realised that supply-side intervention was needed if the UK was to solve its housing woes, but that the traditional housebuilding model was broken; too slow, too labour intensive, too wasteful and too reliant on macroeconomic stability to ensure supply chain consistency. The housing market was ripe for revolution, and modern methods of construction was the answer.”

Inside the Flaxby factory (Image: Picture from ilke Homes)

Mr Sheridan said: “Modular housing offers an alternative for UK housing with its sustainable, low waste methods, which all housebuilders and providers should seek to emulate.

“We deliver precision-engineered factory-built homes that reach customers faster, more efficiently and more sustainably than traditionally built homes.”

ilke Homes was taking a lead in this new sector, with it working with financiers, housing providers, district councils and government bodies like Homes England.

And looking further ahead, he added ilke Homes is now on course to become a top ten housebuilder in the next five years by delivering 10,000 modular homes.

'Diversity feeds the innovation machine'

Ilke Homes says not only is it committed to recruiting young talent, but it also seeks a “truly diversified workforce".

The company says its percentage of female staff is higher than industry averages and it is actively working to get more women in diverse roles.

Executive chairman Dave Sheridan said: “By diversifying in this way, we can continue to feed the innovation machine and inspire others to consider a path otherwise dismissed. That’s also why we provide employment for retirees, military veterans, the long-term unemployed and those with learning difficulties.

“In fact, through our partnership with Harrogate Skills for Living, we provide skills training and jobs to those in the local community who suffer from learning difficulties. Everyone has a part to play in the project.”

It successfully runs apprenticeship schemes, and has established the ilke Academy training centre to develop the construction skills needed for the UK to deliver the homes it needs.

Mr Sheridan added: “We are proud of our Yorkshire roots, and that is why we are delighted to have become one of Yorkshire’s largest employers, embedding ourselves in the fabric of the local community with over 1,000 employees working to deliver the UK’s first ZERO bills homes.”

Homes with 'ZERO bills'

Earlier this year, ilke Homes announced its ZERO Brand, which is rolling out ZERO carbon homes with ZERO bills guaranteed for residents.

Delivered in partnership with renewable energy provider Octopus Energy, investor Gresham House and their shared ownership residential platform SO RESI, the first ZERO bills homes are being delivered in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex.

Ilke Homes say they represent the future of UK housing.

Executive chairman Dave Sheridan said: “On top of the standard efficiency gains associated with factory-built homes - greater u-value walls due to airtight precision-engineering and high levels of insulation - the ZERO bills homes also feature solar photovoltaics, air-source heat pumps (ASHP) and battery storage technology that combine to generate more energy than a home consumes.

“This, teamed with a bespoke energy tariff provided by Octopus Energy, will see residents potentially save thousands of pounds on their annual energy bills as the energy price cap continues to eye watering-highs.”

He added: “With the UK having the oldest housing stock that accounts for 20 percent of Britain’s carbon emissions, and the cost of living crisis beginning to bite, the ZERO bills offering sets a precedent for UK housing which all housebuilders and providers should seek to emulate.”