A housebuilder based near Knaresborough has reportedly sent its staff home this afternoon after reports it was urgently seeking investment.
Ilke Homes is said to have told several hundred staff not to come into work at its Flaxby factory until further notice.
They have reportedly been told they will be paid, and will be called back in when the company finds an investor. Managers will continue to work in the 250,000 sq ft factory next week.
The company, which manufactures modular homes, was reported by industry publication Building to have been seeking a new investor this week.
Last week, Companies House began action to strike Ilke Homes off the register of companies because it was late filing. It discontinued the action two days later.
The company said it had been given an extension until the end of this month to file its accounts, during which time it was aiming to secure new funding.
Chief financial officer Patrick Bergin told Building:
“We can file, the accounts are ready, [but] the final conversation with the auditor is around whether they include a caution in the audit report that references the severe but plausible downside scenario.
“I’m shooting for the cleanest outcome.”
The Stray Ferret has attempted to contact Ilke Homes but not had a response.
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Business Breakfast: Knaresborough housebuilder partners with housing association
It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. The fourth in our series of networking events, with Banyan Bar & Kitchen, is a breakfast event on April 27 from 8am.
Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.
Knaresborough housebuilder partners with housing association
A Knaresborough house builder has partnered with a national housing association to build 449 homes.
Ilke Homes has announced the partnership with The Riverside Group, which currently oversees more than 75,000 homes across England and Scotland.
The company is working with the housing association to finalise plans for the homes at a 21-acre site in Kent.
The homes will be a mix of houses and apartments and will be manufactured at Ilke Homes’ factory in Knaresborough.
Subject to planning approval from Thanet District Council, the company hopes to start work at the site in 2024.
Tom Heathcote, executive director of development at ilke Homes, said:
“ilke Homes continues to partner with some of the country’s most well-known housing associations, largely in part to our ability to deliver high quality, energy-efficient homes quickly. The Riverside Group, as part of its adopted ESG strategies, has acknowledged the increasing importance of sustainability and our partnership will help future-proof their investment from rapidly changing building regulations and government guidelines.
“We look forward to working with both local planning officials and other stakeholders to progress the proposals through planning to deliver a truly sustainable and well-designed community that will be providing much-needed, high-quality housing for the area.”
Harrogate business group appoints acting chief executive
Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce has appointed an acting chief executive.
Martin Mann, who was vice president of the organisation, has been confirmed to take on the role.
The move comes as current chief executive, David Simister, is seriously ill in hospital..
Mr Mann confirmed on LinkedIn that his new role would not affect is IT support business
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Flaxby modular housebuilder acquires site in Hastings
Flaxby-based modular house builder ilke Homes has bought a site in Hastings to develop 140 affordable properties.
The 12.35-acre site already has outline planning permission and was previously owned by Hastings Borough Council.
Work is expected to start in autumn this year ahead of completion in 2024. A total of 84 homes will be ‘zero carbon’ and powered by renewable energy.
The company, which has 500 employees, builds homes at its factory on Flaxby Moor Industrial Estate near Knaresborough that are then delivered across the UK.
Tom Heathcote, executive director of development at ilke Homes, said:
“We have enjoyed working closely with Hastings Borough Council’s Estates Team and the local authorities planning department to bring forward our proposals for the site at Harrow Lane.
“Subject to the clearance of pre-commencement conditions, we are excited to commence on site later this year.”
Cllr Maya Evans, deputy leader and portfolio holder for housing at the council, added:
“We are very impressed with ilke Homes, who have gone above and beyond in ensuring 84 homes are zero carbon.
“This means the energy they use will be 100 per cent renewable, on top of fabric first sustainable building materials.”
Read more:
Free business workshop in Harrogate
ActionCOACH Harrogate is hosting its second free business workshop at Starling Independent Bar Cafe Kitchen on September 7.
It’s been designed for business owners who want “a more manageable, more profitable business that can work without them”.
Andrew Joy will talk delegates through the ActionCOACH 6 steps model that’s used by many companies around the world.
The free morning of business coaching will include marketing concepts, sales promotion and profit-building systems.
To register visit here.
Flaxby factory could send 300 homes to GuernseyFlaxby-based modular housing developer Ilke Homes could manufacture 332 homes for a new housing scheme in Guernsey.
They would be built at Ilke’s factory and transported to Guernsey to be constructed on-site.
The Channel Islands Co-operative submitted plans for the development this week and include a car park and supermarket.
Nigel Banks, special projects manager for Ilke Homes, told the BBC:
“We have focussed on having homes that are very well insulated, they are also built using very sustainable materials – we have a big focus on having low emissions to the structures.
“The floors are manufactured then put on a trailer and transported to a harbour, then put on a charter vessel and then transported at night to the location.”
Harrogate BID to host culture and inclusion meeting
Harrogate BID will host a meeting next week at Hustle & Co in Harrogate.
Jane Slimming, founder of Culco, an organisation which helps businesses implement cultural programmes, will be the key speaker at the meeting. She is also CEO of Zeal, a Digital and Creative Agency.
Ms. Slimming is expected to speak about subjects around improving workplace culture and inclusion, the future of the workplace, and recruitment.
Jane Slimming
Harrogate Borough Council has worked closely with the company, helping businesses across Yorkshire. It also funded workshop participation hosted by Culco earlier this year.
Harrogate BID will also hear about plans for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in Harrogate.
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Knaresborough nursery acquired by Kids Planet
Knaresborough nursery acquired by Kids Planet
A nursery group with a setting in Knaresborough has been acquired by north-west operator Kids Planet.
Twinkles Nursery Group, founded in 2003, has sites in Knaresborough, Leeds city centre, Wetherby, and Boston Spa. All are rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.
Kids Planet acquired Bradford-based nursery Kinder Heaven in 2021.
Jill Smith, managing director at Twinkles Nursery Group, said:
“It has been an honour to serve all our wonderful families and to work alongside such a dedicated and super talented team over the years, and I feel now is a good time to step back and take some time to decide what comes next.”
Flaxby modular housebuilder features in 153-home deal
Flaxby-based modular housebuilder ilke Homes, in partnership with Gresham House and agent SO Resi will install a factory-built home on a site in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex as part of a wider 153-home scheme.
Ilke claimed the two-storey family home, which will be sold under a shared ownership scheme, is the UK’s first home to guarantee zero-energy bills.
Gresham House will install low-carbon technologies such as solar panels and an air source heat pump, which provides all heating and hot water. Battery technology will be installed to store energy.
Giles Carter, chief executive at ilke Homes, said:
“The cost of living crisis is here and now. Since the turn of the century, UK households have become overly reliant on gas imports, leaving consumers at risk from rising wholesale gas prices.
“Thanks to advances in manufacturing, materials, and renewable energy, we have created homes that not only drastically reduce household bills but also give consumers greater control over their own energy usage.”
Value of farm shops revealed
The Farm Retail Association, which is based at the Great Yorkshire Showground, has released new research that shows Britain’s farm shops generate £1.4 billion in sales nationally and employ 25,000 workers.
The findings, released in conjunction with Harper Adams University, were part of its biggest research project to date. They were announced at the annual Farm Retail Association Conference on Wednesday.
The study found that there are an estimated 1,581 farm retailers nationally, employing 25,000 people, with sales totalling £1.4 billion. Some 64% of farm shops expect sales to increase further in 2022 and a third of all farm shops have opened in the last 10 years.
New FRA chairman Rupert Evans said:
“This was the biggest research project that the FRA has ever undertaken and the results show the vital part that farm retailers play in the community as well as on a national scale.
Alastair Boot (left), senior lecturer in food retail and marketing and Rupert Evans, FRA chair and
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Flaxby modular housing developer posts £41m lossFlaxby-based modular housing developer Ilke Homes has posted a loss of £41m in its latest annual report.
The company, which has 500 employees, builds homes at its factory on Flaxby Moor Industrial Estate near Knaresborough that are then delivered across the UK.
In the year to 31 March 2021, the company sold 199 homes, up by a third from the previous year.
The report says the company was “significantly impacted” by covid. It adds a restructuring and redundancy programme in summer 2020 led to the departure of 122 employees.
But it adds that the long-term future of the company is healthy and it aims to become a top 10 house builder within the next five years.
It adds:
“In spite of these significant interruptions to business operations and to the wider economic environment, the company continued to make meaningful process, with additional designs and approvals, factory automation and production process improvement leading to capacity growth, sales pipeline development and strengthening the senior management team.”
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Since the company was founded in 2018 it has yet to turn a profit, and has reported combined losses of over £100m.
Homes England, the government’s housing agency, has invested £60m into the company since 2019.
The Stray Ferret asked Ilke Homes for comment but did not receive one by the time of publication.