Minister visits affordable housing in Swannington
31/03/2009
Leicestershire Rural Housing Association (LRHA) welcomed Huw Irranca-Davies MP, Minister for the Natural and Marine Environment, Wildlife and Rural Affairs, to its site in Swannington today (MON).
The project, in Foan Hill, saw five homes built for people with close links to the village so they did not have to move outside the area because of rising property prices.
The MP visited two homes on the scheme and discussed the wider policy on affordable housing provision from both a Leicestershire and regional perspective.
He was met by Craig Felts, Managing Director of Midlands Rural Housing (MRH), and Richard Mugglestone, Project Delivery Manager for MRH.
Mr Irranca-Davies visited the rented two-bedroom bungalow of Julie Siddles whose family has lived in the village since 1912 and who wanted to stay close to her disabled mother.
He also visited Bernie Argent and Stuart Adams who had been living in a bedsit but wanted to move back to a home in Swannington suitable to raise their daughter Tia.
Craig Felts, Managing Director MRH and Company Secretary of LRHA, said: “We responded to the village’s needs by providing a mixture of rented and shared ownership homes and the project has proved a success in helping us to meet the affordable housing needs in Swannington.
“It has been well accepted and been a massive success.”
The project was made reality by a partnership between Leicestershire Rural Housing Association, North West Leicestershire District Council, East Midlands Housing Association and Swannington Parish Council.
The homes, which are three rented and two shared ownership, are managed by Leicestershire Rural Housing Association and followed a housing survey which identified a need for more affordable housing in the village.
The homes were built in 2007 by East Midlands Housing Association (EMH) and were funded by a combination of Housing Corporation, now the Homes and Communities Agency, Social Housing Grant, land contribution from North West Leicestershire District Council, and a subsidy from EMH.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Leicestershire Rural Housing Association (LRHA) provides affordable housing in rural houses so people do not have to move away from the villages in which they grew up or work.
It receives management services from Midlands Rural Housing, which has offices at Coalville in Leicestershire and Cromford in Derbyshire.
Midlands Rural Housing provides management services to four rural housing associations covering Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and the Peak District.
Its aim is to facilitate access to homes in villages and market towns for those who live and work locally but are constrained by the effect market forces are having on affordability
For further information please contact Michelle Pearson, of Word Association, on 01455 614333 or michelle@wordassociation.co.uk