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new power for parish councils to boost affordable rural housing
John Healey, Housing and Planning Minister had committed to giving a boost to rural communities with proposal to give special planning power to parish councils in order for them to build new affordable housing.
The proposals will allow for a limited number of affordable houses to be built in rural villages without the need for individual planning applications where the parish council backed the new homes.
New guidance on social housing allocations that John Healey published in December has also strengthened the scope for local authorities to ensure that people living and working locally are given higher priority for affordable housing in rural parishes.
John Healey comments: “There is a need for more affordable homes in rural villages, where the price of an average home is £40,000 higher than in towns and cities. My concern is to see new homes at affordable rents for young local people and their families, who otherwise would have no option but to leave the area. A small amount of homes can make a dramatic difference to the life of rural villages.”
