South Shropshire village welcomes community led homes
A new development of six sustainable and affordable homes that the local community had direct involvement in bringing to fruition has officially been opened in a south Shropshire village by Lord Jeff Rooker.
Onny Fields in Onibury near Craven Arms is the first development by South Shropshire Housing Association, under its Marches Community Land Trust Services offer, and has been delivered in conjunction with a Community Project Board comprised of local residents and other key stakeholders. This board had significant involvement in everything from the design of the homes and the materials used; features that would make the homes sustainable and in keeping with the local environment; and even the development of a local lettings plan. This will ensure that the houses are allocated to local people now and in the future.
The process followed in Onibury is one of five schemes supported by a £1.3m grant from the Homes and Communities Agency, and is part of a new approach that welcomes a very public and open decision making process at every stage of a housing scheme’s development.
Valuing stakeholder input is something held in high regard by Shropshire Housing Group, and in fact a stakeholder event took place at Ludlow Racecourse on the same day as the official launch of the Onibury scheme. The event allowed over 50 attendees to contribute thoughts on three key areas of Shropshire Housing’s business: future visioning; development and community led initiatives; and neighbourhood strategies and priorities. A further event is planned in the north of the county in November.
Commenting on why local stakeholder involvement is so important, Jake Berriman, Chief Executive of Shropshire Housing Group, said: “Whether it’s a development like Onny Fields or an event such as that held at Ludlow Race Course, we place immense importance on gathering the thoughts and input of key stakeholders for whom our work has an impact.
“In the case of Onny Fields, the Project Board was a vital link between South Shropshire Housing Association and the wider local community and ensured that the scheme delivered benefits to the whole village.”
Amongst the features that have been integrated in to the homes at Onny Fields, are bird boxes, bat boxes and water butts, and the whole development has been awarded a Code 3 for Sustainable Homes for its sustainable credentials.
