Kent is leading the way in the number of new homes being built in the south east, according to the latest government figures.

They reveal 12,000 new homes were completed in the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (Selep) area - which covers Kent, Essex and East Sussex - in the 12 months to March, with work starting on almost 11,000 homes.

That amounts to more than in any other region outside of London.

Broken down by county, they show that in Kent and Medway there were 6,080 completions and 4,990 starts, Essex saw 5,190 completions and 4,690 starts and in East Sussex 1,090 completions and the same number of starts.

Christian Brodie, chair of Selep, said: “The LEP has worked alongside a number of partners to help create an environment in which developers can get on with the important business of getting spades in the ground and delivering the new homes that are essential to the region’s growth and economic prospects.

“We are the only LEP in the country with Housing Business Ready status, and we have helped introduce planning protocols across the area which see local authorities and developers working together in the pre-application and application stages to overcome the complexities of the planning system which can hold back developments.

“We are also at the forefront of the government’s garden communities programme, with five sites in our area including Otterpool Park, Dunton Garden Suburb and Gilston Garden Town, and work well under way at Ebbsfleet.

“These projects are about placemaking, creating employment, skills and a quality of environment to serve a growing population.

“Under the garden communities programme, we have the largest number of planned homes officially recognised by government and a proven ambition to plan holistically and support new communities with the necessary infrastructure.”

The LEP is also working on iConstruct, a business-led project expected to launch in January which will aim to drive change in the construction sector to bring innovative new approaches to the industry, tackle the skills shortage it is experiencing, promote the benefits of new offsite methods of construction and encourage smaller builders to grow their businesses.

Nick Fenton, chair of the Kent Developers Group and chair of the Selep housing and development group, said: “Construction projects across the south east are proceeding at a pace which has undoubtedly been assisted by the sharing of experiences and knowledge from across the LEP region.

"With challenging government housing targets to meet, strategic thinking and a collaborative approach is essential."