Rural Housing Week: Couple ‘win the lottery’

with new affordable home

Patrick and Amanda Fox recently moved into a bungalow at West Farm Close, a development consisting of nine affordable homes in Eltisley.

They were previously privately renting a terraced house in the village but finding it increasingly unaffordable and unsuitable for Patrick’s mobility needs.

The couple were keen to stay in the local area to help look after their two young grandsons, so they were thrilled to be offered a bungalow for affordable rent at West Farm Close.

As well as everything being on one floor, their new home benefits from large rooms, wide doorways and a wet room for easy access.

Amanda said: “Patrick struggles with stairs because of his mobility problems, so for six months at our previous house we were having to sleep separately – he was sleeping downstairs while I was upstairs.

“Moving here has been wonderful; it really has transformed our lives. We also have the security and peace of mind that goes with having a housing association as our landlord – they’ve been amazing.”

Retired builder Patrick said: “This move has been life changing – it feels like we’ve won the lottery. The house is perfect, as if it’s been made for us. At our stage of life, it’s now our forever home.

“We love the independence, the space and the privacy it gives us. It is also great for our grandkids when they come to visit. There’s a big garden, it is safe for them to play out at the front and there’s a playground round the corner – it’s just brilliant.”

Meeting housing need

Hastoe Housing Association has developed the homes in partnership with Eltisley Parish Council, South Cambridgeshire Council and Homes England, supported by the charity Cambridgeshire ACRE, which is a member of the wider ACRE Network.

Made up of more than 30 county-based rural charities, the Network supports rural communities with everything from village hall management to affordable homes.

Cambridgeshire ACRE carried out a Housing Needs Survey in 2017, which identified 10 households in need of affordable homes.

Since then, one of the charity’s Rural Housing Enablers (RHEs) has worked with the community and development partners to bring the scheme to fruition.

RHEs are specialist independent advisors who help rural communities consider the need for affordable housing locally, connecting them with landowners, housebuilders and planners to bring about suitable small-scale schemes.

West Farm Close is a small rural development comprising seven homes for affordable rent – five two-bedroom houses, one two-bedroom bungalow and one three-bedroom house, plus two two-bedroom houses for shared ownership.

The scheme has been built in direct response to local need, after the community raised concerns about young people leaving the village due to expensive house prices and the need for homes where older residents could downsize.

The scheme represents a 33 per cent increase in affordable housing for the parish of Eltisley, with all nine homes prioritised for people with a local connection.

High-quality homes

The energy-efficient homes at West Farm Close have all been built to Hastoe’s New-Build Standard.

This substantially exceeds current building regulations and incorporates elements of the Future Homes Standard, which aims to reduce carbon emissions.

All the homes benefit from air source heat pumps, high levels of insulation, LED lighting, double glazing and electric vehicle charging points, all of which ensures low-carbon living for residents now and into the future.

Amanda Fox explains: “It’s a lovely, roomy, modern home, well designed and very warm. We’ve only needed to put the heating on when it’s been very cold, and the house really keeps the heat in.

“It’s so well insulated that sometimes I’ve switched off the heating when we go out, but the house is so warm when we come back a few hours later that I think I’ve forgotten to switch it off.”