Castles & Coasts Housing Association is highlighting the importance of delivering affordable homes in rural communities during Rural Housing Week.
Operating across some of northern England's most rural areas, including National Parks, National Landscapes (formerly Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty), and market towns throughout Cumbria and Northumberland, we work with local communities, planning authorities and landowners to provide homes that enable people to live and work in the places they call home.
The need for affordable housing in rural areas remains acute, with high house prices and limited housing stock creating significant barriers for local people seeking to remain in their communities.
In the Lake District National Park, we recently completed 20 new homes in the village of Goforth, with the affordable housing element now fully occupied. The development has provided local families and individuals with access to secure, highly energy-efficient homes while helping to strengthen the local community. The swift occupation of the affordable homes highlights the significant demand that exists for housing across rural Cumbria.
Across the other side of the Lake District, we will soon be releasing homes on phase three of a popular development in Staveley near Kendal. The scheme has already delivered much-needed affordable homes for local people, and we expect demand for these new homes to be high. Developed with close working relationships with the Lake District National Park Authority and local stakeholders, the scheme demonstrates how high-quality affordable housing can be successfully delivered within nationally protected landscapes while respecting the character of the local area.
Looking ahead, we’ve secured planning permission for a new affordable housing development in Hexham. The scheme will provide much-needed homes in the popular Northumberland market town, helping local people access affordable housing close to employment, services and family support networks. The development represents another important step in addressing housing need across rural communities in the North East.
David Brown, Head of Development at CCHA, said: "Rural communities can only thrive when local people have access to affordable homes. Across northern England we continue to see strong demand from individuals and families who want to live and work in the communities where they have roots, employment and support networks, but who are increasingly priced out of the housing market.
Planning for future supply is becoming increasingly important. In the North Pennines National Landscape, we recently completed a local housing needs survey in Allendale. The survey was designed to understand the current and future housing requirements of local residents and help shape potential affordable housing provision in the village. Engaging directly with communities is a vital part of ensuring future developments respond to genuine local need and support the long-term sustainability of rural settlements.
David continued: “The schemes we are delivering demonstrate that affordable housing can be developed sensitively and sustainably, even in some of the country's most protected and picturesque landscapes. Rural Housing Week provides an important opportunity to highlight both the challenges facing rural communities and the positive difference that affordable homes can make to people's lives."
Castles & Coasts remains committed to working with local authorities, community organisations and residents to identify housing need and deliver high-quality affordable homes that support vibrant, sustainable rural communities for generations to come.