Tackling the rural housing crisis

It’s long been recognised that the lack of affordable housing isn’t just a problem in urban areas.

In the 1980s, many rural towns and villages were becoming victims of a housing market serving second and holiday homeowners. Local people were being priced out, and the problem was getting worse.

We're keen to play our part in addressing this crisis. A good example of this lies in Brassington, a limestone village in The Peak District.

We worked with Derbyshire Dales District Council to build four two-bedroom houses on a piece of disused land. This development, next to the village school, was created using locally sourced materials. This enabled us to create homes that blend in with nearby buildings.

Tracy and Dave Rogers have a lovely home on this development. Tracy used to live in a private rented home and was keen to put down permanent roots in the area. When she saw our development being built, it was the perfect opportunity to move into a new home.

“I was absolutely over the moon when I was offered one,” she said. “The house itself is beautiful, and blends in really well with the rest of the village.”

We’re committed to supporting rural communities, with developments being created across the East Midlands.