Chairman of Great Bardfield Parish Council, Councillor Janet Dyson, officiated at the opening of English Rural Housing Association’s latest scheme on Tuesday 17 September. With 12 homes for local people Castle Shot was initiated by the parish council after a sizeable response to an article in the parish newsletter asking if local people were in need of affordable housing. This led to RCCE’s Rural Housing Enabler carrying out a Housing Needs Survey and English Rural finding a willing landowner with a suitable site. Despite the rain about 50 people attended the event which included English Rural’s Annual General Meeting.
Designed by architects, George F. Johnson and built by Borrowdale Homes, the scheme demonstrates what can be achieved through partnership working. The majority of the costs were provided by English Rural with grant contributions from the Homes & Communities Agency and Braintree District Council. The homes have air source heat pumps supplying central heating and hot water achieving level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. With 2 one-bed flats, 7 two-bed houses and 2 three-bed houses it has a mix of sizes of homes helping to meet the needs of the community. One of the 2-bed houses is shared ownership with the rest being rented.
Councillor Janet Dyson can also be seen talking about this subject in our My Village, My Home DVD. Check it out at this You Tube link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJsFjizIxNM&hd=1
