Planned approach to providing more rural homes

Can the experts help 36 rural councils deliver 10,000 new homes?

Housing Minister John Healey and Rural Affairs Minister Lord Davies named the local authorities which will benefit from the £1million fund jointly provided by Communities and Local Government and Defra.

It is the first time that rural councils have received dedicated funding for designing and planning new development to support the local needs of their communities and the cash will provide expert assistance and training on masterplanning and urban design, ensuring new businesses, shops and schools are located near where people live and making it easier for people to work from home in rural communities.

A large proportion of the homes will be affordable and it is hoped they will give a boost to rural businesses and will help village schools, shops and pubs stay open.

The councils receiving funding bid for the money through a design competition run by CABE and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

Through the HCA’s consultancy panel, local authorities will be able to appoint specialist consultants to carry out urban design studies or masterplans for individual sites without having to undertake an OJEU process. Since the HCA consultants’ panel has already been pre-qualified, they can be appointed following a fast track process. This work is separate to the programme of work already being carried out by the HCA and CABE with local authorities.

The councils that have been successful are receiving funds ranging from £4,000 to £70,000 to support work on projects, including: £70,000 to develop a masterplan for 1,000 homes, a school, businesses and recreation space in North Northallerton; £30,000 to prepare a masterplan to redevelop the historic Bolton Copperworks site near the village of Froghall, and kickstart the regeneration of the Churnet Valley; and £50,000 for masterplanning expertise to redevelop the Churchfields Estate west of Salisbury, providing 1,100 homes, a neighbourhood centre, a primary school, open space and land for businesses, delivering much-needed homes for the area of which around 40 per cent will be affordable.

Successful councils will develop masterplans for new neighbourhoods and existing areas of towns, making the most of current buildings and creating more attractive and vibrant places for people to live. Healey said: “We know a lack of affordable homes for local people is acute in rural communities. People have to be able to stay in the countryside for rural areas to prosper. That is why we’re backing rural councils with funding for the skills to provide homes young families can afford, where they want to live.

“Local authorities should make the most of the expertise on offer to design and plan for affordable homes for local people that are built to a high standard, and are linked to new opportunities for jobs so rural towns and villages can thrive.”

Defra Minister Lord Davies of Oldham added: “Available houses at affordable prices are essential for a rural community. The support from this fund and the expert help available to the successful authorities will help build those houses as well as making sure that services and jobs are located where they are most needed for rural areas to secure a thriving future and strong local economies.”

Winning projects will share best practice with other rural regions of the country, in the hope of bringing forward high-quality rural developments in other areas.

The masterplan funding is the latest stage in the Government’s plans to help rural communities thrive by providing more affordable housing and greater freedom to develop strong local economies.

Matthew Taylor, who produced the Taylor Review into rural housing and economies said: “This announcement is another step in implementing my recommendations in ‘Living Working Countryside’. It is about sustaining rural communities with well-designed affordable homes meeting local needs. The experience gained from these rural community projects, backed today by a million pound Government investment, will help shape a more sustainable future for rural England.”

Sir Bob Kerslake, chief executive of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), welcomed the announcement. He said: “We welcome today’s Rural Masterplanning Fund announcement; as the first time that rural councils have received this kind of tailored funding to help them develop places their local residents want, it’s a hugely significant move towards helping provide a longer-term and much needed boost to the well-being of rural communities across the country. These areas face particular challenges in maintaining a decent supply of homes that are affordable for local people even on modest incomes.

“We are committed to helping our local authority partners deliver sustainable developments for their communities, and this funding will go a long way to helping them achieve this. We will continue to work closely with CABE on the ongoing management of the fund to ensure that the right level of support is on hand.”