To sustain the rural community there is a need for more affordable housing to be developed to ensure that local people, especially young families and the elderly, can afford to live in their village. By using local services and maintaining the demand for services the community will be able to keep them running.
Rural affordable housing is similar to affordable housing but there are a few slight differences.
Planning consent is granted for affordable homes in rural communities provided that the homes remain affordable and for local people in perpetuity. People will have to demonstrate a local connection to the area.
To ensure that they remain affordable most are built with Housing Associations and are available for rent, intermediate rent, rent to buy and shared ownership. In the case of shared ownership and rent to buy schemes the home buyer can only purchase up to 80% of the property with the housing association owning the other 20% and holding the freehold. When a home buyer wishes to move they can sell their share to another qualifying first time buyer or they can sell it back to the housing association.
The Strategic Housing Team works with Local Rural Communities, Planning, Registered Housing Providers and Developers to encourage the development of more affordable homes for local people in rural villages and bring forward sites for affordable housing.