People will find it easier to get on the property ladder thanks to a new social housing development, developers say.

Construction is well underway on Castor Park off the A20 London Road, on the border between Allington and Aylesford.

The estate has been commissioned by the West Kent Housing Association and is being built by Penenden Heath Developments Ltd.

West Kent already has more than 8,500 properties in its portfolio, including 1,000 homes specifically for the over-55s.

But bosses of the housing association, which currently has 14 other sites under development this year, are particularly pleased with Castor Park because it is all their own.

The association’s chief executive Tracy Allison said: “Sometimes we have an allocation of social housing built as a Section 106 condition of a planning permission for a market development, where we more or less have to take what is offered.

“Here we have been able to control the site from the outset and design it as we see best.

“That is an important point for us - that we create homes in a community where people can be proud to live.”

Anabel Palmer, West Kent’s executive director of development, agreed, saying: “Because these 106 homes are being entirely developed by West Kent with Penenden Heath Developments, we have much greater control over quality.

“We can really make sure that we are building quality and homes that are tailored to meet our residents’ needs rather than as an extra bit that’s added on (as in market housing).

“We are very focussed on making sure this is a place where people will want to live.

“All but six of the homes will be houses - two, three and four bedrooms, and they will be houses with gardens.

“There will also be two play spaces.”

Mrs Palmer said: “We are really committed to creating a community. We are not here to put up 106 homes and walk away.

“We are going to have a dedicated resource that works with this community even before they move in.

“That’s really important for us. That can make or break a development.”

Castor Park is close to J5 of the M20 and has the London/Maidstone railway line running along one border.

It is close to the large Poppies development of 840 homes by Barratt David Wilson, which will include a new link road connecting Hermitage Lane to London Road.

It is next to Bunyard Farm, an area of open space that is currently subject to a village green application. If that fails, the land has already been earmarked for the development of 435 homes by Barrett David Wilson.

Castor Park includes a pillbox left from the Second World War, which will be restored, and included in the landscaping.

Of the 106 homes, there will be a 50/50 split of shared ownership and rented properties. Of the rented properties, the majority will be “socially rented” - the cheapest form of social housing.

The development is being financed with a grant from the government body Homes England, but the full cost of the project has not been revealed.

Each home will have air-source heat pumps - there will be no gas on the site. Each will have solar panels on the roofs and an EV charging point.

The first homes will be completed in the spring. The rest over the next 18 months.

Andy Shankster, a director Penenden Heath Developments, said: “In May this year, this was just a muddy field. The transformation is amazing.

“Already we have the foundations in for 53 homes and 20 are up to the sub-structure.

“This development was spearheaded for us by Tim Vince, one of our founding directors. Sadly Tim passed away at the beginning of the this year.

“So Castor Park will be a fitting tribute to Tim, as it was very much his baby.”

Chris Tomlin co-founded the company with Mr Vince in 2011. The firm is now based in East Farleigh.

He said the partnership with West Kent worked well for both sides.

The small developer - Penenden Heath Developments directly employs only 11 people - specialises in working with housing associations.

Mr Tomlin said: “When you build market housing, your company has to put in all the money up front and take all the risk, and you are dependent on the vagaries of the market as to whether you will be able to sell your homes at the end of the day.

“With West Kent, we know who our customer is and can be confident of our income.”

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West Kent is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.

A full archaeological survey of the site was carried out before construction began.

The only items discovered related to the land’s use during the last war - some spent shell casings and the buttons from an Australian Army uniform.