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Rural Housing

Aims of our Rural Housing Enabler Project

 

This project aims to help deliver affordable housing across the rural parishes within Mendip, Sedgemoor, South Somerset and Taunton Deane so that affordable housing provision can be targeted to the areas of greatest need.

 

The district authorities, various housing associations and Somerset County Council are all working with our Rural Housing Enabler Team in order to promote and facilitate the development of affordable rural housing.

What is a Rural Housing Enabler?

 

Our Rural Housing Enablers are currently Karl Hine and Felix Marsh. Since the project began in 2002 many housing needs surveys have been completed and the Rural Housing Enablers have helped to deliver over 140 units of affordable housing with many more in the development pipe-line for 2008. The range of funding supporting these posts means that the Rural Housing Enablers are able to act as 'honest brokers' between all parties in the process for developing affordable housing. At present they are involved with over 50 individual parish projects.

 

Their responsibilities include:

• Raising awareness of the project and of issues surrounding affordable housing with local communities.
• Working with local communities and Parish Council's to assess local housing needs through assisting with a Housing Needs Survey and collating the results.
• Working with landowners and Parish Councils to identify potential sites for development.
• Liaising with relevant organisations including Local Housing and Planning Authorities and Housing Associations in order to ensure development is targeted to the area of greatest need.
• Increasing awareness of problems surrounding rural housing and influencing future policy.

 

Stepping Stones to Affordable Housing

 

As a guide, these are the stages involved in the process: 

• Meet with the Parish Council
• Assess the Housing Need
• Find a potential site for development
• Obtain District/Borough Council support for chosen site
• Negotiate with landowner - secure agreement
• Involve Housing Association
• Secure Funding
• Obtain Planning Permission
• Build Homes
• Allocate Residents

 

Above all this is a flexible process in which the local community and Parish Council have a central role. 

The Rural Housing Enablers work in Partnership with:

 

 

 

 

 

                      

 

 

 

 

& their best level partners         & their preferred partners

 

If you would like more information about Rural Housing, please contact us.

 

Rural Housing on Exmoor 

West Somerset and the Exmoor National Park have their own Rural Housing Enabler, Colin Savage. For assistance with issues surrounding rural housing in these areas, please contact Colin by telephone (01398 322249), by email CBSavage@exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk or by writing to: 

Colin Savage
Rural Housing Enabler,
Exmoor House,
Dulverton,
Somerset,
TA22 9HL

 

To view information about what is affordable housing click here

To view information about affordable housing scheme types click here

To view information about how the Community Council for Somerset can help  click here

To view information about land click here

To see which  areas we are currently working in click here