These three case studies show what can be done, creating attractive, affordable and appropriate housing in rural areas:
Stocksfield, Northumberland
Stocksfield is a prosperous rural commuter village in Northumberland, where no new affordable homes had been built for 25 years. But then the community decided to build homes themselves.
The Parish Plan identified the need for more affordable homes but local residents were concerned about any new developments being built on green belt as the village sits in a beautiful rural setting.
Working with Karbon Homes they developed seven much-needed new affordable homes to rent by local people in the village. The new affordable homes were built on brownfield sites to help minimise their environmental impact and protect the green belt.
Wimbish, Essex
Wimbish is a typical rural community where local people have been squeezed out of the housing market by rising costs. However, it is far from typical in the way the Parish Council has sought to address this issue and continued to do so for the past 21 years. 28 affordable homes have been built to buy or rent over this time.
Before each development, a housing needs survey has been carried out, and the homes have been rented every time to people with a connection to the village.
They developed the first rural affordable housing scheme in the UK to be built to Passivhaus specifications, with some residents stating their heating bills were only £30 a quarter.
Download the Wimbish case study
Longhoughton, Northumberland
Watch the story of a Parish Council’s approach to addressing the housing needs in their village, in this short film on Longhoughton, Northumberland.
Follow the links below for more information:
