A new village development of 30 affordable Stonewater homes has opened in Sherburn-in-Elmet, near Selby.
The houses, for low-cost rent and shared ownership, are part of Strata’s new 120-home Carousel Walk development. Social housing provider Stonewater has financed the village scheme of low-cost two- and three-bedroom houses — 19 for rent and 11 for shared ownership — which have been built for local people with a connection to the area. The energy-efficient, gardened properties have been delivered in partnership with Selby District Council and housebuilders Strata.
Stonewater is responding to an urgent need for affordable homes in rural communities like Sherburn where local people — particularly younger groups — are being forced out of the area because they can’t afford housing. Currently, a typical house in the Selby area is over seven times the average local salary, and private rents are almost a quarter of take-home pay.
Jonathan Layzell, Stonewater’s Executive Director for Development, said: “We’re delighted to be offering these smart new affordable homes in Carousel Walk for residents who are struggling to find good quality, inexpensive housing in Sherburn.
“In providing urgently-needed housing for local people who keep our village schools, shops and other essential services going, small affordable developments like this are breathing new life into many rural communities. They also demonstrate the valuable role housing associations like Stonewater are playing in delivering housing for key people such as local carers — who will be increasingly needed to support an ageing rural population.”
Stonewater has 316 affordable properties in North Yorkshire. Its Carousel Walk village scheme, which provided two local joinery apprentices with on-the-job training, is part of an ambitious development programme to provide affordable homes in rural communities across the country where they are most needed. Rural areas are settlements with a population under 10,000 in which around 19% of the English population live.
