The shortage of affordable housing in rural areas has been an issue of concern for a long time. Rural villages offer an attractive lifestyle for affluent incomers but planning policies limit the growth in many communities, with prices putting housing out of the reach of local people. Often people are able to buy second or holiday homes which for the majority of the year remain empty. Young people find that they can’t afford to live in the villages they were brought up in.

Achieving a balanced growth of housing within villages offers opportunities for young people and key workers and helps the sustainability of local services on which many local residents rely.

By employing a Rural Housing Enabler the Rural Community Council can make a positive contribution to the delivery of affordable housing in the area by acting as the independent “honest broker”. They can help to address the challenges that can arise when building in rural communities, help speed the development process along whilst making sure the community is comfortable with any new housing which might otherwise have been opposed.

For further details please email i.bellamy@derbysrcc.org.uk or telephone 01629 824 797.

Parish Housing Needs Surveys