Working with Rural Communities to Build Affordable Housing

There are several diverse groups who need to co-exist in rural areas. The demand for rural housing is an issue that local councils and communities are faced with continually. Social and economic restructuring has consequentially led to rural areas being more complex places to live, work in and manage. The conundrum is how to address and deliver the right amount of rural housing, in the right area and of a type which satisfies demand. Most people have preconceived ideas as to what cities, towns and the countryside look like based on the ‘rural idyll’. There are many contradictions: the needs of the working community are often in conflict with the view of environmentalists and local government policy. Currently, more than three-quarters of the population inhabit urban areas which adds to the aspirational element of country living. According to DEFRA, rural areas are solely distinguished by physical criteria and encompass settlements with a population of less than 10,000 however, there is no clear definition for what constitutes a rural area other than the size of the population. The UK landscape is mostly rural but, no one geographical classification defining rural/urban can be used. In 2018 9.5 million 17% lived in rural areas and 46.4 million (83%) of the population lived in urban areas. There are several groups who have an interest in rural areas and as consequently disputes arise as to how areas operate. Changing communities are problematic as there are conflicts of interest with regards to how space should be used, misconceptions with regards to class divisions and perceptions of lifestyle are often oversimplified with outsiders believing in more opportunities for egalitarianism. Understanding the sociology of rural areas and the role of the community is of great importance and should be part of informing social policy. Cultural differences and traditional views have changed opinions over time as has the impact of environmental issues; this has led to the new and heightened ongoing conflict in rural areas. ‘Up-scaling’ of rural conflicts means issues are no longer just on a local scale with increasing involvement in issues from regional and national pressure groups, companies and agencies. Campaigners are more actively responding to perceived threats to landscape and environmental and cultural change in order to influence policy. The 1980s was the turning point when many disputes moved from being localised to the mainstream. Building projects are highly visible and changes to the rural landscape are something to rally against. Decentralisation resulted in local communities being more actively involved in governance. Power has been devolved from central Government allowing community, public and private sectors to have a larger influence in policy making. This evolving style of governance requires a more negotiated approach putting power relations at the centre of the agenda. This shift from ‘top-down’ to ‘bottom-up’ allows shared responsibility for governance.

Local authorities struggle to deliver the required homes in rural communities for several reasons. They are constantly faced with local and national challenges and need to navigate these in order to deliver the right amount of housing to satisfy demand in their area. With strong leadership and working together with local businesses and individuals in the private and public sectors, they can produce good, clear policies and gain more support. Currently, there is a shortage of affordable housing in with only 8% of rural properties being allocated for social housing across the country. Elevated house prices are a direct result of supply and demand: increasingly people with higher incomes are moving from urban areas into rural areas and buying up properties driving up prices. Average house prices in rural areas in the UK are 11 times the average rural salary. The lack of affordable housing causes conflict in the local community as many families are priced out of staying in the areas, they were brought up in. However, The Campaign for Rural England (CPRE) is concerned that 24,000 homes have been built on green-belt land since 1990. They insist new houses in rural areas have an intense local impact and criticise the Government heavily: by giving more power for Town and Country planning locally should alleviate some of the problems.

With limited new development in large parts of the rural UK, areas are no longer affordable to locals who want to live and work locally. Planning at a national and local level needs to address this issue. Whilst obtaining planning for rural housing is not intrinsically different from urban areas; new developments in rural areas tend to be for larger, more expensive homes. Policies clearly need to be amended placing more emphasis on the provision of affordable housing. The delivery of rural housing is affected by several issues. There are many strongly held views in the rural community from local residents who have far-reaching opinions on what is acceptable. Nimbyism has become an increasing flash point. Sue Chalkey, chief executive of Hastoe, states, “One of the big problems is that we, as a society, think it’s an honourable pursuit to fight new homes being built.” (HASTOE) Whilst permanent residents recognise the need to have more affordable housing in their area and the economic advantages this brings, they are all too ready to object to something which will take place in their direct locality.

Landowners can restrict the supply of new sites and proposed developments in sensitive environments demand higher and more expensive design requirements. In Hambleton, North Yorkshire, landowners withheld land because they wanted a greater say in who occupied any housing built. This more restrictive, approach slows down planning. Inevitably, policy shapes delivery with housing decisions being made following The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The NPPF aims to assess the demand for affordable housing and offer a wider choice of potential sites in line with its objective to increase site supply by between 5% and 20% over the next 5 years. By identifying the size of property needed and the preferred tenure it is their hope they will influence local planning to encompass affordable housing. The NPPF states, “It is important to recognise the particular issues facing rural areas in terms of housing supply and affordability, and the role of housing in supporting the broader sustainability of villages and smaller settlements.” It must be taken into account that in order to meet local needs, developments must be located where hubs are encouraged thus enhancing the vitality of a community. The need to avoid building isolated, remote, single dwellings should be discouraged. The use of strong evidence is paramount when submitting plans to ensure requirements are met. The evidence required should use existing data and surveys and include: Land Availability Assessments, sub-market analysis and the UK House Price Index. Local policies also need to be taken into consideration are they are more astute when considering increasing differences in key areas such as affordability, provision of social housing and a potentially ageing population.

There are circumstances when local authorities can set lower thresholds for affordable housing in the case of, for example, rural exception sites. In these cases, neighbourhood planners work with landowners to develop land with the support of additional partners such as Community Land Trusts (CLT) or parish councils. These special measures can provide isolated homes for essential rural workers, who face particular challenges, in response to situations where the proximity to their place of work is imperative. This supports the agri-business as it allows for a more sustainable local workforce In February 2020, and in response to lobbying, the NFU reported that the government had launched a consultation on an initiative to provide affordable homes at 30% less than the market cost available to first-time buyers in the rural community. It is worth noting developers are as likely to campaign as conservationists to influence outcomes. The NFU wanted to ensure the rural community had the opportunity to express their thought with regard to the need for homes to go to workers who support farming and the local community. This consultation resulted in a national planning policy which facilitated farm building conversion to create more new homes. The principle behind the policy was to encourage young people to remain in rural areas for work and to facilitate farm succession. The First Homes scheme allowed local people to get the first refusal on new homes at a discount sales price and would only be for owner-occupiers who had the property as their primary residence. The purchase of second homes is an ongoing issue. Second homeowners often come into conflict with local permanent residents. In the case of the Northumbrian village of Beadnall, the local council ruled to restrict the building of new properties to be used as second homes. The council exercised their right to subject new builds to S106 of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990, which required any land sold to be solely for the purpose of building permanent residences. Noise and increased traffic and the risk of anti-social behaviour factored in their decision-making. In late 2016, the newly announced Community Housing Fund allocated £60m to tackle the problem of second homes with Yorkshire receiving £6.2m for the year ending 2017.

Between 2015 and 2021, North Yorkshire’s intention is, 'To enable more new homes and for all housing to be of a quality, type and size which meets the needs of our urban, rural and coastal communities and supports economic growth'. They anticipate, by investing in increasing the supply of affordable housing in rural areas, stakeholders will be coaxed into delivering new homes. In order to negate conflict, they clearly outline a process which identifies interested groups and involves them in the decision-making process. The ownness is on community-led housing policies which promote an alliance of organisations to ensure they are integrally involved in the key decision-making. Cllr Richard Foster, Chair of the Yorkshire North, Yorkshire and East Riding Housing Board, said: “This new service will make the delivery of Community-Led Housing much simpler by bringing everything together in one place and helping communities get started to bring much-needed affordable housing to their local area”.

In rural communities, a presumption is made that community groups want to be involved in long-term projects if the benefits to the local community are clearly defined. There are a variety of ways to facilitate the building of affordable homes, but all have the same result. Most community-led projects are usually aimed at meeting long-term housing needs. CLTs acquire land and hold it as a community asset, they then can grant permissions to develop the land to provide affordable homes as seen in Rillington, York through the work of CoHo Ltd. These assets are held in perpetuity. Hudswell CLT saw the local community come together to build three houses for local people who could not afford to buy locally. Having raised £80,000 through the Hudswell Community Charity (HCC), a £250,000 loan through Charity bank and a £40,000 grant from Richmondshire District Council allowed the project to go ahead. Don Farrar, Chair of HCC states, “We know that many people who have strong local connections cannot afford to buy a home in Hudswell. So we are building affordable rented housing ourselves - for people to stay, or move back to the village.” 

Housing Co-operatives aim to involve groups of people to be shared owners, managing affordable homes for themselves. Co-housing schemes encourage groups to manage communal spaces and share activities whilst their properties are privately owned thus encouraging a sense of community. In all instances, groups are provided with access to expertise and grants available for additional support. In Hutton Rudby, a site was chosen for 16 new homes in close consultation with local residents and businesses. Hutton Rudby Parish Council accessed the funds through the Rural Housing Enabler (RHE). RHE work independently with local communities to facilitate social housing schemes. In 1991 – 1994 ACRE ran four pilot schemes of which 210 reached the construction stage with 189 in one year. As with all successful schemes, the input of locals into design and location was vital in avoiding possibly objections to planning as the community had ownership of the scheme. The residents had very strong opinions regarding the need for the development to have a ‘traditional look’ yet be sustainable and eco-friendly. Paddocks End was opened by the Patron of English Rural, HRH, Princess Royal in January 2017 and all 16 properties were allocated to people with a local connection to the village enabling them to hold down jobs or stay close to family. The greatest number of schemes were identified in Hambleton, North Yorkshire, but most failed to proceed due to conflicts over proposed sites. Funding problems and lack of guidance from the District Council proved problematic along with planners favouring sites near market towns and larger villages. The restrictions of S106 also make investors nervous as valuers often appraising schemes undervalue sites thus reducing the amount of return on investment. It is essential Parish and Ward Councillors talk to investors to explain the advantages of providing affordable housing and gain community support and innovative solutions as to how best to meet local needs. Working in partnership with the local community and Housing Associations will help identify suitable land for development and explore site options.

In conclusion, a new form of governance has enabled decision-makers and communities to move away from ‘top-down’ policy making leading to the creation of opportunities for increased investment from a wider section of society. A sustainable infrastructure will ensure continued economic growth in rural areas. Moving forward, assessing needs and allocating sites should not be subject to blanket policies. All plans should be considered at a strategic level in line with the Local Planning process and consultation with the local community is essential. It is of paramount importance that existing partnerships between private and public organisations are cultivated and strengthened in order to continue to drive rural development. A loophole, in the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2003, allowed purchasers of properties the right to buy on a shared-ownership basis and resell: this has now been closed and in March 2006 Baroness Andrews announced all low-cost homes on exception sites would be retained for future generations. This change has led to landowners and planners being more willing to proceed. The CPRE wants to see the land used sustainably and in the public interest. They call for strong measures to be put in place to re-connect rural incomes with local areas, but stress new housing must be the right type of homes in the right place in order to ensure rural areas are future-proofed.