Landowners urged to sell plots for affordable homes

Rob Medway, who donated his land for social housing, said "nurturing families will have a incredible effect on the community"

People with a spare acre or two of land in Hampshire villages are being asked to consider selling them for affordable housing.

Action Hampshire, a charity that helps support rural housing development, is hoping landowners will see the benefit for their village community.

Eight homes are currently being built in Curdridge, near Winchester, under the "rural exception" scheme, which allows land not permitted for development to be used for social housing.

Landlord Rob Medway has donated a former pick-your-own raspberry field and said "Curdridge is missing so much because younger people can't afford to live here, so it's so worthwhile".

Mr Medway added: "I know how hard it is for people to buy here and the school, the church, the cricket club, the village hall needs families, they are the key to community and a real blessing."

Eight affordable homes are being built in Curdridge

The homes are being built by Hastoe, a non-profit housing association with the support of a £652,000 Homes England grant.

All the properties, which include flats, two-bed houses and a three-bed home are for shared ownership or social rent and will be offered to people who have a connection to Curdridge or a neighbouring village.

A report published in July from arc4, Rural housing solutions and English Rural found only 9% of housing in rural communities was social housing - half the proportion found in urban areas.

Claire Morgan from Action Hampshire said they worked closely with parish councils and communities to identify need and potential sites, but do occasionally meet objections.

"We need to bust the myth this development in villages means a big estate of shoddy housing and the people offered it will not fit in with the community," she said.

"Normally it is no more than 10 homes. Most of the people who would qualify already live in the village but would have to leave without an affordable home - and that's your teaching assistants, gardeners, people working in the pub or shop".

'Really rewarding'

Under rural exception development, landowners who offer space will be paid less than market value, normally a maximum of £10,000 a plot.

Some, like Mr Medway, donate land for a symbolic £1 payment but build a property for themselves or a family member.

Chris Meadows, from Hastoe housing association, said that made finding land a challenge and "it tends to be people who want to give back to their community who offer sites".

Action Hampshire thinks that makes finding suitable sites difficult but Ms Morgan believes "for those with a long standing connection to a village who have land, it's really rewarding for someone in that position to see a community evolve there".

The development at Curdridge will be completed next month.

Winchester City Council and Hastoe housing association are currently deciding which applicants will be allocated a home.