Residents in Braunston joined Northamptonshire Rural Housing Association for an un-bear-lievable afternoon to celebrate Rural Housing Week 2017.
Local families, Board members and colleagues came together to enjoy a special teddy bear’s picnic to mark the completion of Phase 3 of the housing association’s new development.
Twenty affordable properties, developed by emh homes, were completed at Maple Close in Braunston during Phases 1 and 2. However, a Housing Needs Survey showed that further affordable homes were still needed to enable people to stay in the village, and an additional 12 properties were built this year for people with a local connection to Braunston.
Excellent partnership working has enabled the development to come to fruition, and speeches were made by all partners at the picnic including NRHA Chair, Janet Roberts and emh Group Chief Executive, Chan Kataria, along with representatives from Braunston Parish Council and Daventry District Council.
The theme for this year’s Rural Housing Week was Delivering the Ambition, and the week provided an excellent opportunity to highlight rural housing issues and shine a spotlight on the affordable housing developments which are enabling NRHA to offer a lifeline to local people and ensure the survival of rural communities and services.
Councillor Mike Warren, Daventry District Council’s Health and Housing Portfolio Holder, commented: “House prices in our rural communities can be so high that a lot of young people are effectively priced out of the villages they grew up in. Likewise, there are a lot of older people who want to downsize but cannot find suitable properties.
“That’s why we’re happy to support organisations such as Northamptonshire Rural Housing Association and our parish councils in bringing forward schemes such as Maple Close in Braunston. By working in partnership we are able to provide affordable properties for local people, and play an important role in strengthening communities across Daventry District.”
Northamptonshire Rural Housing Association Company Secretary, Craig Felts, added: “NRHA is committed to providing affordable homes in rural Northamptonshire for local people and families who would not otherwise be able to afford to live within their own communities.
“Rural Housing Week was the perfect opportunity to bring the new residents together to celebrate our latest development and help create a real community spirit in Braunston.”
