Housing Plus tackles rural housing shortage with support of David Orr

Housing Plus tackles rural housing shortage with support of David Orr

The development on Himley Lane in the village of Swindon, near Dudley, is the first Rural Exception site in South Staffordshire and was built following consultation with the local community, which revealed that affordable housing was needed. The 14 new properties have provided affordable housing that will only ever be available to local people. This will enable those otherwise priced out of the expensive housing market to continue to live in the area.

One family benefiting from the new homes is the Westons, who are now able to get on the property ladder for the first time. Mr and Mrs Weston have two young daughters and were keen to buy a family home in the area where they have lived in rented accommodation for over five years.

On presenting Mr and Mrs Weston with the keys to their new home, David Orr commented: “Schemes like Swindon, that provide affordable housing in rural areas, are essential not only for enabling people to buy homes in areas that they would not otherwise be able to afford, but because ultimately they help keep villages alive for years to come. The huge amount of interest for these homes from local people indicates the need for affordable housing in rural areas.

“I visit a lot of new houses and these are among the best I have seen. I’m really pleased to have the honour of both launching this development and handing over the keys to this local family.”

Debbie Griffiths, chief executive of Housing Plus added: “At Housing Plus we are committed to developing and improving lives in rural South Staffordshire.

“We believe that by building homes to enable younger families to stay in their local villages, we can help create flourishing communities. We only build houses that are needed in the area and the homes built will only ever be rented or sold, on a shared ownership basis, to local people to ensure that the future of these communities is protected.”

Housing Plus was keen to design the homes in-keeping with the beautiful rural village, so the architect worked with the local authority’s conservation officer to take design inspiration from local buildings. For example, the two-bedroomed houses have been modelled on traditional local barn conversions, and a pair of semi-detached houses on the façade of the village pub.