The scheme — which is set on a 12.4-acre site — will deliver 140 affordable homes, half of them as shared ownership, the other half as affordable rent.

They will include a combination of apartments and houses, ranging from one to four bedrooms.

The entire project will be gas free, running on renewable power from a combination of solar panels and air source heat pumps (ASHPs), and 84 of the homes will be delivered as zero carbon.

This isn’t the first time Ilke and Orbit have collaborated; the two previously partnered to deliver 25 homes in Warwickshire in 2020.

Work is expected to start in autumn 2022 and complete in 2024.

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 authority’s planning department to bring forward our proposals for the site at Harrow Lane.

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“As a company, we continue to pioneer a sustainable and future-proofed housing typology in response to the climate crisis.”

Maya Evans, Hastings Council’s deputy leader and portfolio holder for housing, commented: “We are absolutely delighted with the progress of this project providing affordable homes for local people, alongside addressing the climate emergency.

“Hastings Borough Council is now seeing the fruits of its vision to provide high quality homes for people on low incomes, while playing an active role in reducing carbon emissions for its town.

“This is a very proud moment and just the start of more to come.”

Helen Moore, group director at Orbit Homes, added: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Ilke Homes to deliver a mix of affordable rent and shared ownership properties in Hastings — which is a core area of operation for us.

“The 84 net-carbon zero homes will not only support our ‘Orbit Earth’ initiative, which seeks to minimise the impact of our activities, but will also allow us to fully evaluate and then articulate the benefits to our customers of living in a net zero-carbon new-build home."