Hudswell Community Charity NEW HOMES FOR HUDSWELL
2 Hudswell Rural village in Swaledale Population about 230 – 110 dwellings Working village – a few holiday homes 3 miles from Richmond One village hall, a village shop, one church (closed) And one pub – owned by village and supporters. The pup best in Yorkshire (according to CAMRA)
Hudswell Community Charity Founded during the reign of Charles II For the relief of poverty and hardship in the parish of Hudswell Owns endowed land and property Managed three cottages converted from the former school since about 1920
Hudswell Community Charity Now a Charity Incorporated Organisation Seven Trustees – six residents of Hudswell + the Rector of Richmond with Hudswell Reporting annually to the Civic Parish Council
Hudswell Community Charity
The Thompson Field The Charity owns the Thompson Field – land left by a man called Thompson to be used by the Charity to support the poor and sick of Hudswell It was let to farmers for grazing which produced a low income Fronts onto Hudswell Lane and had been thought of for many years as a possible site to build more houses
Work began in 2014 Secured a £10,000 grant towards the cost of feasibility work Conducted a housing needs survey Commissioned Evolve Architectural Services to design a scheme and prepare a planning application Liaised with the Yorkshire Dales Planning Authority and Richmondshire Council Negotiated with the Charity Bank over a loan Applied for grant aid to support the development costs Sought changes to the governance structure in order to secure limited liability
Public consultation Regular newsletters to the village Two public meetings Additional meetings with the site neighbours Made adaptations to the design to meet objectors concerns (spent a lot of time on this!) Most people in the village supported the proposal
The site
The Field
What kind of new housing? Two, thee bedroom, dormer bungalows One, two bedroom bungalow Good quality build, with modern “green” heating systems and solar panels. Plenty of off road parking Landscaped to look attractive Retaining the front boundary wall and trees
Advantages for the village Additional housing for people with a local connection who cannot afford to buy a home in Hudswell (i.e. your elderly parents – your children) Helps to sustain local services like the shop and pub We could build to an appropriate design and did not need to cram the site The Charity maintains control of the allocation of the properties The Charity ensures that they are well managed
How is was funded? Total build costs of the scheme were £360,000 £80,000 from the Charity’s reserves £40,000 from grant from Richmondshire Council (Community Led Housing Fund) £240,000 loan from Charity Bank over 25 year at 4% above base rate An additional £40,000 from Richmondhsire to pay for the solar panels
Our allocations policy – applicants must either: Currently live in the village of Hudswell Have previously lived in the village for a considerable period of time Have close family members, such as parents, siblings or children currently living in the village Work in the village And being in housing need
HCC Chair, Don Farrar Acknowledging cuts the first sod support from Richmonshire and the Charity Bank
The building work began 20 th March 2016
Completed and ready to be occupied November 2017
All the homes have now been occupied for more than a year and they are looking good!
The three houses are occupied by two local families with young children and one elderly person whose daughter lives in the village.
The main obstacles to overcome were Modernising the charity and making its rules fit for purpose Securing the funding Dealing with the planning issues (a section 106 agreement) Convincing some opponents in village that the proposal was viable and would add to the village rather than bring problems
The next project? St Micheal and All Angels Church Hudswell
Possible conversion into living accommodation?
Can you do this elsewhere? Every place is different, but in my long experience as a community worker in urban and rural settings I would say that: If you have a viable idea you will find volunteers willing to take it forward in every community These volunteers need support and encouragement, but they also need to be respected and valued. Community led housing must be led by the community! Communities can open doors and find ways of doing things that are new and innovative. So, yes you can do this anywhere!
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