Celebrating rural housing

As Rural Housing Week draws to a close, we met with MP Michelle Welsh to highlight the urgent need for more affordable homes in rural communities.

We took a tour of a recently completed development of homes in the village of Walesby, North Nottinghamshire.

It was the perfect location to discuss the importance of rural housing to the long-term sustainability of local communities. NCHA’s development of family homes and bungalows are a great example of how considerately planned and designed housing can create a positive impact on communities.

“Meeting with Michelle Welsh gave us the opportunity to demonstrate the real pressures facing rural communities,” said Holly Dagnall, Director of Homes and Wellbeing at NCHA. “We discussed the need for political support and joined-up strategies that ensure rural areas aren’t left behind in housing delivery.”

Supporting communities

Developments like Walesby offer people an affordable option to continue to live in the area.

Councillor Lee Brazier, Portfolio Holder for Housing at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “At Haughton Way in Walesby, we’ve had great success with phase two of the affordable rural exception scheme thanks to partnership work between ourselves, NCHA and Midlands Rural Housing.

“The lack of affordable housing is a growing problem in many rural communities. Schemes like this help to keep small communities in the countryside alive by enabling young and old alike to remain in villages where they have family connections.”

Leanne has lived in the village all her life, but was finding it hard to find a home that met her needs, and was affordable for her, she explains: “I have a visual impairment, so it was really important to me that I could stay in the village that I know so well, and can navigate. I feel so lucky to have got this bungalow.”

Her neighbour Pauline moved into phase one of the scheme, completed in 2016: “I couldn’t believe my luck when we got the call to say we’d got the bungalow. I think someone was looking down on me. We’ve been here nine years and we have such a great community. A brand new bungalow in Walesby, with the most beautiful panoramic views; how lucky am I?!”

Rural Housing Week

Rural Housing Week is an annual campaign from sector body the National Housing Federation.

At the visit, supported by Rural Midlands Housing and Newark and Sherwood District Council, conversation focused on the challenges housing providers face in delivering and managing homes in rural areas, from high development costs and planning constraints to the limited availability of land and infrastructure.

At NCHA, we’re a key provider of affordable housing in rural locations. And we’re now preparing our bid for the next round of government funding through Strategic Partnership 3 (SP3), part of a £39 billion national investment in social and affordable housing.

With continued partnership support and government backing, NCHA remains committed to ensuring that rural communities across the East Midlands have access to the affordable homes they need to thrive.