A NEW affordable housing development in Kent, built on land sold by the Church Commissioners, was opened formally by the Princess Royal on Wednesday.
Ten of the 13 new homes at Carpenter’s Yard in Shepherdswell, a village near Dover, are defined as affordable, i.e. rented at lower than market rates.
The scheme was developed by English Rural, a specialist rural housing association, and Shepherdswell and Coldred Community Land Trust, the first CLT in Kent. Formal planning approval was secured in 2022, but the project began more than a decade ago when a housing survey in 2013 identified “a clear requirement for affordable housing in Shepherdswell for singles, couples, and families alike”, a press release said.
An account of the development, published by Kent Housing Group, records that the project stalled initially because a suitable site could not be found. This led to the formation of the Community Land Trust in 2017, which, in partnership with Rural England, identified sites including one owned by the Church Commissioners, situated next to the village hall.
Having previously not wanted to sell, the Commissioners were “interested in the stronger community aspect through the CLT, and ultimately agreed”, the Kent Housing Group says. “Had it not been for this land, the project would have likely failed, as there was no other suitable and available land in the parish, as evidenced by the extensive site search.”
The land at Shepherdswell is a “rural exception site”, an area of land where development would not normally be permitted except when there is a proven need for affordable housing for local people. Because it cannot be used for open market housing its value is lower, making it possible to deliver affordable homes, including through Community Land Trusts. The project was supported by Kent’s Rural and Community Housing Enabling service.
KENT HOUSING GROUPNew residents outside their home in Carpenter’s Yard
The Church Commissioners reported last year that there were more than 40 local families on the waiting list for the ten affordable homes. Residents moved into the development in March this year. The site’s freehold is owned by the CLT, which maintains a long-term stewardship of the houses. English Rural are responsible for developing and managing them. The leasehold properties are only available for people who can demonstrate a strong connection to the village. There is no right to buy them.
Maria, a resident of Carpenter’s Yard, said: “After years of struggling with rising private rents, this home has given us security and peace of mind. The financial stability from our long-term tenancy agreement is an enormous relief. It’s not just about having a roof over our heads; it’s about being able to stay in the community we love and contribute to village life.”
A church statement described the scheme as “ground-breaking” and “an exemplar of the vision set out in the Archbishop’s Commission’s Coming Home report, emphasising the importance of truly affordable housing to foster stronger communities” (News, 26 February 2021). It is hoped that, by enabling younger generations to remain in the area, the development will help to protect local services, including the village primary school.
In 2022, the then Second Church Estates Commissioner, Andrew Selous, cited the Shepherdswell development as evidence of the Church Commissioners’ commitment to affordable housing.
In total, the Church Commissioners own 92,000 acres of land, of which 6000 acres is described as having “development potential”. Coming Home, published in 2021, asked whether they could be “sacrificial as they develop out this land, and accept, if necessary, a lower price for their land in order to deliver more affordable housing”. This would necessitate a change to their current legal remit.
The Commissioners have pledged to use their land portfolio to develop 29,000 homes by 2037, of which 9000 are to be affordable. In 2022, they have spoken of plans to “accelerate the delivery of small-scale rural affordable housing sites across England, in partnership with housing associations and local housebuilders”.
The Homes for All vision, launched in Parliament earlier this year in partnership with the Church of England, highlighted that 1.2 million households remain on local-authority social-housing waiting lists (News, 3 May).