Building Back Better With Rural Affordable Homes

Construction is underway on a development of six affordable homes fulfilling rural housing needs in the village of Staple.

The development on Durlock Road in Staple includes two one-bedroom houses and four two-bedroom houses.  Under rural exception rules, the new homes will be available for affordable rent for local people – forever. The scheme also features two bungalows for open market sale which will cross-subsidise the affordable homes.

The development, by the English Rural Housing Association is supported by Dover District Council and Staple Parish Council as part of plans to increase affordable housing in rural areas and follows a housing needs survey by the Rural Housing Enabler at Action with Communities in Rural Kent.

English Rural Housing Association is one of the leading developers of rural affordable housing in England and has worked previously with Dover District Council and parish councils to deliver 22 local needs homes in St Margaret’s at Cliffe and Goodnestone.

Alison Thompson, Senior Regional Development Manager at English Rural, said: “We are delighted that Dover District Council has backed our latest development in Kent, where we are committed to working with local authorities.

“The scheme reinforces the value that small-scale affordable housing developments can bring to villages like Staple, providing well-designed homes in partnership with and for the benefit of the community.

“Affordable rural developments provide a secure and safe place for local people to live, in the communities they serve and support. The affordable homes at Durlock Road will play an important role in safeguarding a vibrant, active, and working village that includes a mixture of age groups and income earners. We always welcome the opportunity to work with other villages to support them with developing their own affordable homes for local people.”

Cllr Derek Murphy, cabinet member for housing at Dover District Council, said: “We’re committed to building back better in both our urban and rural communities with an ambitious target to build over 500 new affordable homes.”

Note to editors:

The National Planning Policy Framework defines Rural Exception Sites (RES) as small sites used for affordable housing in perpetuity where sites would not normally be used for housing. Such sites have been used by many community-led housing organisations (particularly community land trusts) to provide homes for local people.

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