English Rural’s Patron, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, today officially opened an innovative affordable housing development in Avening, Gloucestershire, demonstrating how community collaboration can help with England’s rural housing challenges. The £2.87 million development, delivered by English Rural in partnership with Cotswold District Council and Avening Parish Council, provides 14 much-needed affordable homes in an area where house prices are typically more than 16 times average rural incomes.
The development at ‘The Sunground’ comprises nine homes for social rent and five shared ownership properties, built to high environmental standards with air source heat pumps and solar panels providing sustainable heating and power. The homes have achieved an excellent average EPC rating of ‘B87’, helping to keep energy bills affordable for residents.
The development showcases how affordable rural homes can be sensitively designed to complement village settings. Drawing on traditional Cotswold architecture, the properties feature characteristic steep-pitched gables and local materials including reconstituted Cotswold stone.
The scheme addressed an acute local need identified through a housing survey which found 14 households requiring affordable homes and 12 families forced to leave the village due to lack of affordable housing options. Recent research shows that around 12% of rural housing is classified as affordable, compared to around 19% in urban areas.
Martin Collett, Chief Executive of English Rural, said:
“We are delighted that our Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, is opening these much-needed affordable homes. This development shows how strong partnerships between housing associations, local authorities and communities can deliver beautiful homes that enable local people to remain in the villages where they grew up and work. With rural house prices in Gloucestershire now averaging over £500,000 – forcing many young people to leave their communities – developments like this provide a vital lifeline.”
Councillor Patrick Mulligan, Chair of Avening Parish Council, added:
“It is hoped that these homes will make a real difference to our community, most importantly to allow local young families and essential workers to remain in Avening. The development’s success shows what can be achieved when communities work together to address local housing needs.”
During her visit, The Princess Royal viewed two of the properties and met residents who have benefited from the scheme. The homes were built by J Harper & Sons (Leominster) Limited and designed by DJD Architects of Worcester to complement the village’s existing architecture while incorporating modern sustainability features.
The rural housing crisis continues to deepen across England, with over 300,000 people now on rural social housing waiting lists. At current building rates, it would take 89 years to meet this need. Projects like The Sunground demonstrate how rural communities can work together to provide sustainable solutions to this growing challenge.
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