With so much new housing earmarked for Kent, the sponsors of one of the country's most prestigious art awards are providing funds to encourage homebuilders to install works of art in their developments.

Liberty Property Trust UK, which is developing Kings Hill - the mixed use community near West Malling - Kent County Council and Arts Council England, South East, jointly sponsor the annual Rouse Kent Public Art Award for the best piece of public art created in the county during the year.

Now a homebuilder category has been added to the award to encourage developers to commission public art in new projects and £5,000 will be invested in providing art consultancy support to those keen to enhance their sites.

The Rouse Kent Public Art Award for Homebuilders is part of a bigger movement to encourage large scale investment in good design, green space, cultural provision and other forms of public art.

The additional funding is being provided by Kent County Council and deputy leader Alex King said that he wanted developers to add value to the land they build on. The award, he said, is an opportunity to create a new approach to building places for people to live.

"Kent County Council is determined to ensure quality is the key word in all new homebuilding and this award ensures an essential element of quality communities - public art - is promoted and encouraged," he said.

Caroline Binns of Liberty Property Trust UK explained that an art consultant will work with the developers to create vision proposals which will be entered into next year's Rouse Kent Public Art Award. Whoever wins will receive £5,000 to progress their ideas.

"By developing a deeper understanding of the role public art can play through integration in scheme design, housing developments of the future will have a sense of place and an identity that will evoke a sense of pride in residents", she said.

"At Kings Hill we have several works of public art which enhance both the business and residential developments and are synonymous with the scheme."