Frequently Asked Questions

The results of the Parish Housing Needs Survey carried out in October 2022 by the Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity along with Central Bedfordshire Councils own housing needs register demonstrated a demand for rural affordable homes in Studham for local people, where there are limited opportunities for affordable rented housing.

One of the homes is for affordable shared ownership where prospective local residents buy a part share of the property, usually 50% and pay a low rent on the remainder, resulting in the property being significantly more affordable and accessible to buyers on lower incomes than through open market housing.   

  These homes will be for people who are:

• Unable to afford to buy in the Parish;

• Who cannot find rented accommodation; and 

• Who have a strong local connection to the village and and the community

The affordable homes can never be sold on the open market and they are reserved in perpetuity for local people. 

The site had a previous planning application for two market sale homes refused as inappropriate development.  English Rural Housing Association actively looks and works with land owners to find appropriate sites for rural exception affordable housing.  Rural exception sites are, as their name says ‘exceptions’ to some of the national planning guidance to ensure affordable homes can be provided in rural villages, without such policies there would be far less affordable housing. 

We believe we have followed planning guidance and have proposed a modest well designed scheme which offers rented homes for residents with a proven Studham local connection.   

The National Planning Policy Framework defines Rural Exception Sites as; "Small sites used for affordable housing in perpetuity where sites would not normally be used for housing. Rural exception sites seek to address the needs of the local community by accommodating households who are either current residents or have an existing family or employment connection. A proportion of market homes may be allowed on the site at the local planning authority’s discretion"

We receive some grant funding from Homes England (a Government agency) to help us build these homes, however we have to raise the bulk of the finance ourselves.  The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) endeavours to help bridge this funding gap by encouraging the use of cross-subsidy on what would normally be regarded as Rural Exception Sites.  Paragraph 78 of the NPPF states that "Local planning authorities should support opportunities to bring forward rural exception sites that will provide affordable housing to meet identified local needs, and consider whether allowing some market housing on these sites would help to facilitate this".

'Local' means a person who is:

• Currently resident in the parish;

• Was previously resident in the parish and wants to return;

• Is permanently employed in the parish; or 

• Is connected by close family still living in the parish

If a future vacancy occurs in one of the homes and no one from Studham Parish, with the qualifying connection, is in need at that time, then applicants with similar connections to neighbouring Parishes will be considered.  The names of the Parishes close to Studham will be agreed with the Parish Council and will be specified in the planning agreement.  However, it is very rare that we have to look for applicants from outside the Parish in which a development has been built.

Before planning permission is granted, we will enter into a legally enforceable planning agreement with the Local Authority to ensure that the affordable homes are allocated to local people and can never be sold on the open market.

NO. The statutory Right to Buy applies to Council owned properties only. A similar, but less generous scheme, the Right to Acquire  is available to Housing Association tenants, but not those in smaller designated rural settlements.  The Parish has the designation of a smaller rural settlement and therefore tenants will not be able to buy or acquire their rented homes, thus preserving their affordable status for future generations of local people.

The programme is to follow the Central Beds planning consultation process from February which would be expected through to July 2023.  If the planning application is successful English Rural would like to start building the new homes by late summer. 

English Rural is asking people, who have a local connection and need an affordable home, and who are interested in applying for one of the proposed homes, to register their interest by clicking the tab at the top of the page.  Alternatively you can visit our website at englishrural.org.uk and read more about what we do.  If you prefer, you can also call 020 7820 7930 to request a form or speak to someone about registering. 

Interested applicants looking for an affordable rented home will also need to register with Central Bedfordshire Council.  Follow the link here to access their online application process.