Residents from an award-winning affordable homes scheme in Osmotherley have spoken out about how the project has benefited their lives, seven years after it was first developed.
It was back in 2013 that Broadacres, a not-for-profit housing association, built 12 homes for local people in the village in partnership the North York Moors National Park Authority and with support from Amanda Madden, Rural Housing Enabler for Hambleton District Council.
The scheme has previously been included within Inside Housing magazine’s top 50 UK affordable developments and also won the North York Moors Design awards in 2014 as the Best New Dwelling.
Among the first people to move in were Katriona and Anthony Garnett, and their son James.
Katriona, who is from Osmotherley, works as a district nurse whilst Anthony is a greenkeeper at Romanby Golf Club in Northallerton.
Speaking on how the project continues to benefit them in 2020, Katriona said: “We had to move out of Osmotherley because we couldn’t afford to live here, so when we heard about the plans for the new properties, we registered our interest and started to attend all the meetings about the development.
“It’s lovely to be back living in the village and the area where I grew up, where my family live and where I work, and to know there are schemes like this which enable young professionals like us to remain in our communities without it costing the earth.”
Chris France, Director of Planning, said: “We are delighted that local people, such as Katriona and her family are continuing to benefit from the scheme.
“As part of our new local plan we are committed to deliver an appropriate increase in housing provision to help maintain the viability of our rural communities and the national park’s population as a whole.
“Evidence shows that these schemes are very popular with our local communities and there are many schemes in the pipeline across the whole of the national park, including looking at the possibility of a second scheme in Osmotherley.
“Parishes such as Fylingdales, Danby and Hinderwell have already had multiple schemes delivered, which shows just how popular they are.”
Broadacres involved local people at every stage of the planning and design of the £1.5 million development. This included choosing the site where the homes would be built, having an input into the design of the homes and naming the properties and streets. The local school even devoted part of their curriculum to the project.
This resulted in the construction of two two-bedroom apartments, five two-bedroom houses and five three-bedroom houses on Clack Lane. Nine of the properties were offered for affordable rent and three for shared ownership, allowing local people to get on to the property ladder by buying a 25%-80% stake in homes that have an open market value of over £150,000.
Fiona Coleman, development manager for Broadacres, said: “This was an excellent example of a community-led development with local people involved in the entire process from start to finish.
“What we have been left with is a beautiful development that is very much in keeping with the area and which has provided much-needed affordable homes for local people.”
Amanda Madden, rural housing enabler for Hambleton District Council, said: “Working with the rural community was challenging at times but once the community realised that these homes were for their sons or daughters, they were very supportive.
“Affordable housing in rural areas is essential to keep the community alive and ensure that schools and services are retained for future generations.”
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