How RHEs can help  

Our RHEs work in the rural areas of Craven, Hambleton, Richmondshire, Ryedale, East Riding and Selby, including the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Parks. They offer free, impartial advice to support the development of affordable housing for local people. They offer step by step guidance  to deliver new high quality housing that meet the needs of communities and fits with the local environment.

By working with local people and housing associations they help provide affordable housing to enable local people on modest incomes to stay in their village and sustain communities. A key tool for delivering these homes is the Rural Exception Site policy outlined in the National Planning Policy Framework. This allows affordable housing to be developed on sites within or immediately adjacent to villages that would not otherwise be permitted, provided that it meets a proven local need. Such schemes must be sympathetic to the the character of a village and remain affordable for local people.

Our enablers can put you in touch with other communities who have already developed schemes and arrange visits to help you pick up tips for your community. RHEs work with community and parish councils and have the skills and expertise to:

• Undertake parish wide surveys to assess local housing need
• Work with the Parish Council and others, such as housing associations, to explore ways of meeting identified housing need
• Liaise with landowners and local authority housing and planning departments to identify possible sites
• Facilitate community consultations
• Help to secure funding for affordable housing
• Act as an honest broker between parties as the project progresses, ensuring that the community is able to participate.

The programme is led by the North & East Yorkshire Rural Housing Enabler Network, chaired by Councillor Richard Foster and reporting to the Housing Board. Its membership comprises Local Authorities, North Yorkshire County Council, National Park Authority, Homes England, the Country Land & Business Association and partner Housing Associations. It is funded by an innovative model which includes contributions from Local Authorities, Housing Associations and National Parks.

If you are a landowner who may be interested in offering your land for rural affordable housing we would like to hear from you. Please see our call for land leaflet or contact your rural housing enabler

Useful Resources

• Parish Council Leaflet
• Call for land leaflet
• Affordable Housing Jargon Buster
• Mike's Story
• Betty and Fred's Story
• The Wilson Family Story
• Kate and Pete's Story
• Claire's Story

The Rural Services Network, in partnership with the Rural Housing Alliance, published a new Affordable Housing Guide for Parish Councils in December 2014 which is a useful guide for Parish Councillors interesting in considering affordable housing provision. Click here to view the guide.