A Manifesto for Delivering Thriving Rural Communities Through Affordable Housing

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Rural Housing Week (1st to 5th July) is an opportunity to focus on the housing challenges facing people living in rural communities.  It is a chance to highlight how we can do things differently and develop lasting solutions to the rural housing crisis which is driven by a combination of low local incomes, high housing costs due to external demand, and a limited affordable housing supply. With affordable housing constituting only 9% of villages compared to 17% in urban areas, the disparity is striking.

Workplace incomes in rural areas are lower than in urban areas, but housing costs are higher. This can mean that what is known as Affordable Rent, charged at up to 80% of market rents, is unaffordable for many. Local Housing Allowance rates are often insufficient to cover higher rural rents, leaving a gap that many rural working residents find difficult to fill.

Rural Exception Sites –  small plots of land which can only be developed for affordable housing for local people,  are often the only route to meet housing needs in rural communities. However, development on these sites has halved over the past five years. 

Rural Housing Enablers are impartial advisors from rural community organisations like Connecting Communities in Berkshire, Community Impact Bucks and Community First Oxfordshire. They play an essential role in  supporting communities, landowners, local authorities, and housing associations to deliver housing on Rural Exception Sites

A New Strategy for Thriving Rural  Communities

A Manifesto for Delivering Thriving Rural Communities Through Affordable Housing is a strategic document developed by a coalition of rural charities and housing associations. It makes several evidence-based recommendations to address the rural housing crisis, focusing on a long-term strategy for scaling up and delivering a national programme of affordable rural housebuilding. Key recommendations include:

  • Housing Needs Requiring local authorities to assess and document the specific housing needs in their rural communities and devise targeted policies and strategies to address them.
  • Enhanced Planning Policy improving national planning policy and guidance to accelerate delivery of homes through Rural Exception Sites.
  • Funding for Enablers Establishing an annual fund of approximately £2.6 million to sustain a national network of Rural Housing Enablers.
  • Adapted Homelessness Strategies Adapting homelessness and rough sleeping strategies to rural areas, focusing on prevention and using enhanced data collection to uncover hidden needs.

Affordable rural housing projects, often small in scale,  yield major benefits, contributing significantly to community investment and economic prosperity. Building just ten such homes can provide a £1.4m economic boost, support 26 local jobs, and secure a net return of around £250k for the Treasury, before considering other local multiplier effects.

By understanding and addressing these challenges, the strategy aims to make the countryside a viable, inclusive, and attractive living option, enriched with opportunities for all.

Collaboration for Impact

Connecting Communities in Berkshire, Community Impact Bucks and Community First Oxfordshire are working together under the banner of the Rural Thames Valley Partnership. By sharing knowledge and resources, we aim to get the most out of our respective rural housing projects for the rural communities we serve.

 

What is a Rural Exception Site?

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Have you heard of a Rural Exception Site? These were originally introduced in 1991 as a mechanism for delivering affordable homes on small plots of rural land that would not otherwise be granted permission for housing development.

An exception site is literally an exception in planning terms. It allows for planning permission to be granted on land that would not normally be granted planning permission, possibly due to contraints like Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Green Belt, or simply because it is outside the settlement envelope or boundary of the village. Almost all exception sites are adjacent to a settlement boundary, as land within the boundary often has development value. It is this very fact of not having development value that makes the land more affordable for affordable housing development.

Our Rural Housing Enablers (RHEs) are keen to hear from Berkshire parish councils or rural community groups that think there may be a housing need in their village or parish. They have recently produced a Developing New Affordable Housing in Rural Exception Sites guide which can be found here.

Our RHEs can help groups and parish councils plot a route through the various processes and help put them in touch with others who might need to become involved.

“Building the homes people need brings vitality to rural communities and helps boost the rural economy at this difficult time,” our CEO Tim Parry observed. “This project helps rural communities in Berkshire carry out a housing needs survey and identify potential sites. We have already engaged with eight rural communities looking for advice and guidance about affordable housing and we have two housing needs surveys in the pipeline. Any rural community interested in exploring their options for meeting the local need for affordable housing should contact our Rural Housing Enablers at the earliest opportunity.”

New opportunity to make a real difference to rural communities in Berkshire

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Could you be our new Rural Housing Enabler?

£30,000 – £32,000 pa, full-time role, 35 hours per week. Fixed term contract until March 2025.

Funding is in place to offer this role on a full-time basis. However, we want to hear from potential candidates interested in the role but unable to make a full-time commitment. We will consider offering the role on a part-time basis or as a job-share to the right candidate/s. We will also be happy to consider offering a secondment to someone currently working in an associated role who can bring strong skills and experience with them while learning a new aspect to their profession.

Rural Housing Enablers (RHEs) work to increase the supply of affordable homes in rural areas for people with a local connection to their community. They support communities to build up evidence of need for affordable housing and use this evidence to help bring about small-scale developments to address local needs. These developments help ensure the vibrancy of rural communities, providing much-needed homes for people growing up or working in these communities and supporting local businesses.

The opportunity

The Berkshire RHE will work in partnership with rural communities, local authorities, Registered Providers and other stakeholders to increase the supply of rural affordable homes. The RHE will join a network of RHEs working across England, with the opportunity to learn from each other and inform the development of local and national policies and strategies.

We are looking for someone with the passion and drive to lead this important project. Our ideal candidate will have a background in housing, understand the current policy background and have a sound appreciation of community development principles. A full job description and person specification can be found here. Our ideal candidate will possess many of the qualities outlined and be motivated to actively pursue opportunities to develop themselves further. This role involves travel around Berkshire, many of the areas will be rural with very limited public transport. A good proportion of your time will be out and about meeting people, so if you are a confident driver with access to your own car for business use, this would be an advantage.

To apply for this role, please review the Job Description and Person Specification and send a CV with covering letter (and a Diversity & Inclusion form) describing how your skills, experience and interests align with the role, to Gemma.Pearce@ccberks.org.uk or post to Connecting Communities in Berkshire, Wyvols Court, Swallowfield, Berkshire, RG7 1WY .

The deadline for applications is Friday 26th January and interviews will take place during the 8th February.

Our benefits:

  • 25 days annual leave per year plus public/bank holidays
  • Contributory pension scheme
  • Free office car parking
  • Staff training and development

If you would like an informal chat about the role before applying, please contact Tim Parry from CCB on 0773 888 7611 or email Tim.Parry@ccberks.org.uk.