News
Partnership gives islanders new homes
Western Morning News - 20th October 2011
The first social housing development on the Scilly island of Bryher has been officially opened.
The two houses are among a total of seven homes, let at affordable rents, which have been built on the off-islands where there is a huge gap between average wages and house prices.
The two three-bedroom homes built at Church Quay, Bryher, were developed by Cornwall Rural Housing Association (CRHA) for rent to qualifying local people.
The development of social housing on the off-islands also involved the building of three homes on St Agnes and two homes on St Martin's.
All of the homes were developed at a cost of £1.9 million with the help of £1.4 million of grant funding from the Homes & Communities Agency on land bought on a 125-year lease from the Duchy of Cornwall.
The tape to mark the opening of the Bryher homes was cut by the former Land Steward of the Duchy of Cornwall, Colin Sturmer, who retired on May 29, 2009, the day that it was announced that the application for funding for the development was successful.
"These developments are very important for the islands, because it is very difficult to get new houses here. It needed a partnership to achieve this," said Mr Sturmer.
"This has been a true partnership between the Cornwall Rural Housing Association, the council, the Duchy and, most of all, the islanders themselves."
The tenants of the new homes, named Quayside and Samphire at their suggestion, are delighted with the properties, which have an amazing view from the front looking down on the harbour at Bryher and across the water to New Grimsby on Tresco, where some holidaymakers pay £2,000 a week for their accommodation.
Dave Hooper, a skipper with Bryher Boat Services, moved in a year ago with his wife Sophie and their two children Sampson, five, and Charlotte, two.
"It was a fight to get a home here. We were living in a Duchy property but the rent was more than double what we are paying here. It was crippling, not manageable on one income," he said.
"The views are great and the moorings are near. In the morning it's straight out of bed and straight on to the boat."
Next door are Neil and Gemma Hansen and their 10-month old son Joseph. Neil is also a boat skipper on Bryher but they had to leave their previous home when the owner wanted to convert it.
The sustainable homes, let at a below market rent of £109.65 a week, feature high levels of insulation, hot water provided by a solar thermal system and wood-burning stoves which also provide heating via radiators.
The planning restrictions which were placed on these properties stated that they had to be used to house people with a strong local connection to Bryher.
Social homes mean brighter view of future for off-islands
The Cornishman - 13th October 2011
TWO NEW homes with amazing views, which were officially opened on Bryher last week, are part of the historic development of the first social housing on Scilly's off-islands.
A total of seven homes, let at affordable rents, are on islands where there is a huge gap between average wages and house prices.
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Pictured at the opening of the new Bryher social homes are, from left, former islands' Duchy of Cornwall Land Steward Colin Sturmer, Isles of Scilly Council housing officer Ian Hamilton, Peter Moore, director of Cornwall Rural Housing Association, and Dr Stuart Burgess, chairman of the Commission for Rural Communities.
The two three-bedroom homes on Bryher – Quayside and Samphire – built at Church Quay, were developed by Cornwall Rural Housing Association for rent to qualifying local people.
The development of social housing on the off-islands also involved the building of three homes on St Agnes and two on St Martin's.
All were developed at a cost of £1.9 million with the assistance of £1.4 million grant funding from the Homes & Communities Agency on land acquired on a 125-year lease from the Duchy of Cornwall.
The opening tape was cut by the former Land Steward of the Duchy of Cornwall, Colin Sturmer, who retired two years ago on the day that it was announced that the funding application was successful.
"These developments are very important for the islands, because it is very difficult to get new houses here," he said. "It needed a partnership to achieve this."
He said it was the culmination of many years of hard work.
Initial options foundered for legal and financial reasons, he said. "Fortunately the knowledge and expertise of Peter Moore, the director of the Cornwall RHA was able to guide the project through the bureaucratic maze."
Mr Sturmer thanked Geoff and Kris Taylor, John and Dee Bird and Rock and Alison Legg who willingly gave up their land.
The tenants of the new homes are delighted with the properties, which have an amazing view from the front looking down on the harbour at Bryher and across the water to New Grimsby on Tresco, where some holidaymakers pay £2,000 a week for accommodation.
Dave Hooper, a skipper with Bryher Boat Services, moved in with his wife Sophie and their children Sampson, five, and Charlotte, two.
"It was a fight to get a home here," he said. "We were living in a Duchy property but the rent was more than double what we are paying here. It was crippling."
Next door are Neil and Gemma Hansen and their 10-month old son Joseph. Neil is also a boat skipper on Bryher but they had to leave their previous home when the owner wanted to convert it.
The sustainable homes, let at a below-market rent of £109.65 a week, feature high levels of insulation, hot water provided by a solar thermal system, and wood-burning stoves which also provide heating.
Restrictions on the properties state that they have to be used to house people with a strong connection to Bryher.
"They are very much needed," said Bryher councillor Marian Bennett. "One young family from the island has already emigrated to Australia because they failed to get a house.
"New affordable houses are vital to keep the islands going."
Richard McCarthy, councillor for St Agnes, said his island had three new affordable homes, including a bungalow for a disabled person which was occupied by an 80-year-old grandmother, freeing up a three-bedroom Duchy property for her grandson and family.
"Five years ago there were only two children left in St Agnes school, now there are eight and the island is becoming more sustainable," he said.
"These new homes are a sign that these small islands at the margin of the British Isles can be sustainable with the right level of investment."
Ceremony Marks Completion Of Off-Island Affordable Housing
http://www.scillytoday.com/2011/10/08/ceremony-marks-completion-of-off-island-affordable-housing/
Scilly Today - 8th October 2011
The Vice-chair of Council, Marian Bennett says new off-island affordable homes offer hope for young people who want to stay on the islands.
Marian says four years ago she feared property would be snapped up by second homeowners or people who could pay top rates, forcing out locals.
Yesterday’s ceremony at Bryher Church Quay celebrated the first step in building the seven accommodation units on Bryher, St Agnes and St Martins.
Former Duchy Land Steward, Colin Sturmer cut the ribbon following speeches by Marian and Peter Moore, Director of the Cornwall Rural Housing Association.
Marian says it’s a wonderful achievement but warned there’s still a need for more affordable housing. She knows of at least one young couple who left the islands recently because they couldn’t find suitable accommodation.
Councillor Richard McCarthy agrees that the project has allowed some people to stay on their home islands, in good accommodation, and it’s not just young families being helped.
Former Duchy Land Steward, Colin Sturmer, cuts the ribbon
A bungalow has been built on St Agnes, which has allowed an elderly disabled person to leave her current home, and the vacated property has now gone to her grandson.
Dave Hooper moved into one of the Bryher units a year ago and says the property gives his family more space and at a reasonable rent. He told us it’s made a huge difference to them, and now, he says, he has the “perfect” home and a future on the islands.
The Housing Association constructed the seven homes on Bryher, St Martin’s and St Agnes last year, with the Homes and Communities Agency funding £1.4m of the £1.9m scheme.
Peter Moore from the Association says it wasn’t an easy process. He says dealing with a national agency, they had to make the case for why everything is so much more expensive, and that meant they had to take time to get their numbers right.
Richard agrees that it was hard work but also says there was a little bit of luck involved too – they submitted their bid for funding at the end of the financial year, knowing that if other projects had slipped, there might be money available – and they were right.
But he’s less optimistic about the future. Under the current economic climate, Richard says, it’s unlikely that the HCA will back more homes in Scilly in the immediate future.
They aren’t looking for new proposals until at least 2015.
Team to Celebrate Off Islands Affordable Homes Project
http://www.scillytoday.com/2011/10/07/team-to-celebrate-off-islands-affordable-homes-project/
Scilly Today - 7th October 2011
Recently-constructed social housing on Bryher
The affordable homes building project, which was recently completed on the off-islands, will be celebrated today by the people who made it happen.
The Cornwall Rural Housing Association constructed seven homes on three islands last year, with the Homes and Communities Agency funding £1.4m of the £1.9m scheme.
Eligible tenants had to show they have lived or worked all year round on the island where the home is, or need to have been in Scilly for at least two and a half years.
The rents are set at an affordable level of £110 a week and running costs are said to be affordable too, with high levels of insulation, a solar thermal hot water system and wood burning stoves that heat through radiators.
The Duchy of Cornwall offered a 125-year lease on the land and the former Land Steward, Colin Sturmer, will cut a ceremonial ribbon at the two homes on Bryher’s Church Quay this lunchtime.
Peter Moore, Director of the Cornwall Rural Housing Association, says the event on Bryher will celebrate the building work on that island as well as St Martin’s and St Agnes.
Peter says convincing the HCA to part with the cash took a lot of work. He says it was a first for his housing association and he is proud of the achievement.
The housing association still wants to build more homes here, because there is an acute shortage, says Peter.
The HCA has declined to fund other projects here recently.
Funds are awarded regionally and a scheme in Penzance or Truro will always appear cheaper and better value, but he believes the islands’ building costs are comparable to central London and projects here can be delivered as cost effectively as in the capital.
CRHA works with land trusts to make sure that villages remain vibrant
The Cornishman - 6th October 2011
THE ACHIEVEMENTS of the Cornwall Rural Housing Association (CRHA), working with the county's community land trusts in proving affordable homes for local people, should be used as an example to be replicated across the country, according to Dr Stuart Burgess, the chairman of the Commission for Rural Communities.
Dr Burgess said that he was particularly impressed by the quality, as well as quantity, of homes built by the CRHA, especially the two-bedroom units which he felt was what most people needed.
The community land trusts had enabled homes to be built, which helped maintain the vibrancy of villages and small communities, but he said a balance needed to be maintained.
"The last thing I want is for homes to be built everywhere – you need the right number to suit the community," he said.
Dr Burgess was addressing the annual general meeting at Trelissick, Truro, of the CRHA, which in the past year has built 66 affordable houses, either for sale or rent, in various parts of the county.
Two of these homes are to be officially opened on Bryher, Isles of Scilly, this week. The two- and three-bedroom homes will be among the first ever examples of social housing provided on the off-islands.
Dr Burgess said some organisations, including the National Trust, had raised high-profile objections to the Government's draft National Planning Policy Framework, which had a presumption in favour of sustainable development and the end of the target for building 60 per cent of new homes on brownfield land.
Problems
He said there was a danger that the tone of the current debate risked losing sight of some fundamental problems facing our countryside.
"England's villages need more housing if they are going to survive and thrive as vibrant communities for the next generation. That is the best way to keep the ever-decreasing number of rural shops, post offices and pubs open, all of which provide a lifeline for local people.
"I'm not talking about huge developments which dwarf the existing village, but small developments of perhaps ten or 12 dwellings, in-keeping with the environment.
"Not just affordable houses, though that is essential in many areas, but some market too."
The chairman of the CRHA, Graham Facks-Martin, said that during the past year the association has completed its largest ever annual development programme, leading to an increase in housing stock from 250 to 294 dwellings.
Schemes completed over the year included four homes at affordable rents at Landrake, two on Bryher, 21 at Delabole, six at St Teath, four at Rock, two at St Ewe, three on St Agnes and two on St Martin's, both Isles of Scilly.
"All of the new dwellings have been let and we have therefore provided new accommodation for 44 families in need of housing," said Mr Facks-Martin.
The CRHA had a successful year financially, with a surplus of £158,199 and a strong balance sheet with reserves of over £1 million.
The director of the CRHA, Peter Moore, presented figures which showed the average weekly rent for a two-bedroom house was £80.19, £91.18 for three bedrooms and £98.27 for four bedrooms, an increase of just 1.57 per cent on last year.
Praise for affordable homes which 'keep villages alive'
Western Morning News - 5th October 2011
Efforts to provide affordable housing in Cornwall have struck the right balance between protecting the countryside and serving the local people trying to get into accommodation, a rural expert has said.
Dr Stuart Burgess, chairman of the Commission for Rural Communities, which aims to tackle disadvantage in the countryside, praised the achievements of the Cornwall Rural Housing Association (CRHA) for working with the county's community land trusts in providing affordable homes for local people.
Dr Burgess said he was particularly impressed by the quality, as well as quantity, of homes built by the association.
He said: "The last thing I want is for homes to be built everywhere – you need the right number to suit the community."
Dr Burgess was addressing the annual general meeting of the Cornwall Rural Housing Association at Trelissick, Truro. In the past year the association has built 66 affordable houses, either for sale or rent, in various parts of the county.
Two of these homes are to be officially opened on Bryher, Isles of Scilly, this week. The two and three-bedroom homes will be among the first ever examples of social housing provided on the islands.
Dr Burgess said some organisations, including the National Trust, had raised high-profile objections to the Government's draft National Planning Policy Framework, which had a presumption in favour of sustainable development and the end of the target for building 60 per cent of new homes on brownfield land.
He said there was a danger that the tone of the current debate risked losing sight of some fundamental problems facing our countryside.
He added: "England's villages need more housing if they are going to survive, and thrive as vibrant communities for the next generation. That is the best way to keep the ever-decreasing number of rural shops, post offices and pubs open, all of which provide a lifeline for local people.
"I'm not talking about huge developments which dwarf the existing village, but small developments of perhaps ten or 12 dwellings, in keeping with the environment."
CRHA chairman Graham Facks-Martin said that during the past year the association has completed its largest ever annual development programme, leading to an increase in housing stock from 250 to 294 dwellings.
Earlier this week, David Cameron aired the prospect of ending the housing crisis which has blighted the Westcountry by offering developers Government land on a "build now, pay later" basis.
Rural housing group earns praise
Cornish Guardian - 5th October 2011
http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Rural-housing-group-earns-praise/story-13481531-detail/story.html
THE ACHIEVEMENTS of the Cornwall Rural Housing Association in working with the county's community land trusts to provide affordable homes for local people should be used as an example to be replicated across the country, said Dr Stuart Burgess, chairman of the Commission for Rural Communities.
He was addressing the annual general meeting of the association at Trelissick, Truro.
He said that he was particularly impressed by the quality, as well as quantity, of homes built by the association, especially the two-bedroom units which he felt was what most people needed.
The community land trusts had enabled homes to be built which helped maintain the vibrancy of villages and small communities, but he said that a balance needed to be maintained.
"The last thing I want is for homes to be built everywhere, you need the right number to suit the community."
In the past year, the association has built 66 affordable houses, either for sale or rent, in various parts of the county.
Two of these homes are to be officially opened on Bryher, Isles of Scilly, this week. The two and three-bedroom homes will be among the first examples of social housing provided on the off-islands.
Dr Burgess said some organisations, including the National Trust, had raised objections to the Government's draft National Planning Policy Framework.
Tone
This had a presumption in favour of sustainable development and the end of the target for building 60 per cent of new homes on brownfield land.
He said there was a danger that the tone of the current debate risked losing sight of some fundamental problems facing our countryside.
"England's villages need more housing if they are going to survive, and thrive as vibrant communities for the next generation," he said.
"That is the best way to keep the ever-decreasing number of rural shops, post offices and pubs open, all of which provide a lifeline for local people.
"I'm not talking about huge developments which dwarf the existing village, but small developments of perhaps ten or twelve dwellings, in keeping with the environment.
"Not just affordable houses, though that is essential in many areas, but some for the open market too."
The chairman of the Cornwall Rural Housing Association, Graham Facks-Martin, said that during the past year the association had completed its largest annual development programme, leading to an increase in housing stock from 250 to 294 dwellings.
Affordable
Schemes completed over the year included four homes at affordable rents at Landrake, two on Bryher, 21 at Delabole, six at St Teath, four at Rock, two at St Ewe, three on St Agnes and two on St Martin's, both in the Isles of Scilly.
"All of the new dwellings have been let and we have therefore provided new accommodation for 44 families in need of housing," said Mr Facks-Martin.
The association had a successful year financially, with a surplus of £158,199 and a strong balance sheet with reserves of over £1 million.
Director of the association Peter Moore presented figures which showed the average weekly rent for a two-bedroom house was £80.19, £91.18 for three bedrooms and £98.27 for four bedrooms, an increase of just 1.57 per cent on last year.
Rural Housing Week 3-9 October 2011
Join us in celebrating Rural Housing Week from 3-9 October 2011.
This week will showcase the work we do in providing affordable homes
for local people to keep villages and communities alive.
www.housing.org.uk/ruralweek
Brambleside, St Teath - Official Opening
18th August 2011
Councillor John Lugg from Cornwall Council carried out the official opening ceremony at the 16 new homes at Brambleside, St Teath on 18th August 2011.
The new homes are a joint development between Cornwal Rural Housing Association and Cornwall Community Land Trust providing 6 homes for rent and 10 homes for sale to qualifying local people.
The six homes for rent new homes have ground source heat pumps which provide heating and hot water. Those homes achieve a Level 3 rating under the Code for Sustainable Homes. The homes for sale have efficient electric central heating systems.
Housing for Sale
Ten of the homes have been developed for sale by Cornwall Community Land Trust, a charitable organisation established in 2007 and run by a voluntary Board of Management.
The homes have been developed with the support of funding from Cornwall Council in order to achieve the following target sales prices:
9 x three bedroom houses (89 -105 sq.m.) - £124,995 - £128,265
1 x two bedroom house (71 sq.m.) - £108,315
Anyone wishing to purchase one of the affordable homes for sale must show that they have a local connection with St Teath or the surrounding parishes. The initial aim was to give first preference to purchasers with a connection to St Teath.
Housing for Rent
Six 3 bedroom houses were developed for rent to local people by Cornwall Rural Housing Association - a charitable housing association established in 1985 to meet housing needs throughout Cornwall and on the Isles of Scilly and run by a voluntary Board of Management.
The homes were developed with the assistance of grant funding from the Homes & Communities Agency and Cornwall Council.
The 6 three bedroom houses are 93 sq.m. and the weekly rent is £94.40
The planning restrictions placed on these properties stated that they were to be used to house people from St Teath and the surrounding parishes. A Local Lettings Plan was agreed with Cornwall Council which allowed first consideration to be given to people with a connection to St Teath.
Scheme Details:
Developer: Cornwall Rural Housing Association
Development Agent: Cornwall Community Land Trust
Contractor: JJ Jones & Sons (St Austell) Ltd.
Employers Agent, Quantity Surveyor, CDM Co-ordinator: Wellers
Solicitor: Stephens Scown
Brambleside was chosen as the name of the new development by St Teath Parish Council.
Click here for more information about the development.
Real homes for local people
Western Morning News Editorial - 4th August 2011:
"Amid all the doom and gloom about housing in the Westcountry it is good to be able to report some positive news. And the opening of 21 affordable homes for rent, built on land provided free by Cornwall Council in a part of the Westcountry where commercial rents and the cost of buying are out of the league of many local people, is certainly very welcome.
While many people wring their hands at the problem of second homes and the continuing high cost of property some organisations, like the Cornwall Rural Housing Association, are quietly getting on with the business of providing affordable places to live.
Those just opened by Cornwall councillor Mark Kaczmarek at Quarry View, Delabole, represent the 46th development by the CRHA, the vast majority to house local people.
The words of one of the first tenants, mother of five Abi Blanchard, sum up all that is positive about this initiative. "I still can't believe I am here," she said. "I was born and bred in Delabole." Born and bred but, until now, with little hope of continuing to live in the village until these homes were built. Thank goodness that has changed."
http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Real-homes-local-people/story-13069720-detail/story.html
Residents' joy as they move into their affordable village homes
Western Morning News News article - 4th August 2011
Twenty-one new homes to provide affordable housing for rent to local people have been officially opened in North Cornwall.
The homes at Quarry View, Delabole, were built by the Cornwall Rural Housing Association at a cost of £2.4 million.
They have been built on free land provided by Cornwall Council, which also provided £540,000 to supplement £1.37 million from the Homes and Communities Agency.
Funding of £88,000 was also received from the Low Carbon Buildings Programme to assist with the cost of installing photovoltaic panels which have been fitted to keep electricity bills to an affordable level.
All the homes also feature high levels of insulation and have been designed with large glazed areas where possible to maximise solar gain.
Rents have been set in accordance with government guidelines for affordable rent and range from £73.57 a week for a one-bedroom house with study up to £93.05 for a three-bedroom bungalow or house and £103.40 for a four-bedroom house.
The Quarry View development is the largest of the 46 completed by the CRHA in its 25 years history. It now owns 294 properties across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Planning restrictions placed on the properties stated that they had to be used to house people with strong local connections to the Parish of St Teath or the surrounding area whose income and capital were such that they were unable to buy or rent a property in the locality on the open market.
The homes have brought a new life to the families who occupy them.
Abi Blanchard, her partner and five children, were living in a two-bedroom house in nearby Penmead Road but now have four bedrooms.
She said: "I still can't believe I'm here. I was born and bred in Delabole, as was my partner, and it is nice here in Quarry View because we know every single one of our neighbours."
Lizzie Hill and her partner and four children also have a four-bedoom house and were living in a two-bedroom home at Penmead Road. "We were squashed there, but now it's lovely having lots of room."
She said her partner, Ashley Davey, had lived in Delabole all his life, while she originally came from Wadebridge.
Karen Smith and her husband and three children had to move from their previous home as it was being sold, but now they have a new three-bedroom property. "It's lovely, we were lucky to get one of the homes," said Karen.
Cornwall Council's Cabinet member for housing and planning, Mark Kaczmarek, said such schemes were needed to keep communities like Delabole together.
"I have spoken to the tenants and it is a good mix of young people and older residents including pensioners.
"It's a proper mix of village people," said Coun Kaczmarek.
"Villages like Delabole sometimes have issues about holiday homes, but this development will always be available for local people."
A similar article (but with photographs!) appeared in the Cornish Guardian of 3rd August 2011:
http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Housing-scheme-local-families/story-13061495-detail/story.html
Click here for news stories from previous years.