One year after the publication of the report by the Affordable Rural Housing Commission in May 2006, the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) is urging the Government to redouble its efforts to secure enough permanently affordable housing where it is really needed in rural communities.
CPRE has found some hopeful signs that policies and planning decisions are being made which mean that more affordable houses are available for those who need them without compromising on the quality of design or damaging the countryside.
But further progress will depend on enough resources being made available to local authorities and housing providers. Clear leadership by Government is also required, with a focus on providing the right housing in the right places, rather than falling back on the discredited 'predict and provide' approach.
Tom Oliver, Head of Rural Policy at CPRE, remarked 'If the Government is serious about the provision of urgently needed affordable housing for rural communities, it should use the planning system to deliver it. Planning can reconcile the need for affordable houses with pressure to build market housing and legitimate concerns to avoid damaging development. And it can encourage the construction of houses which have lower running costs through good design.'
CPRE urges the Government to seize the great opportunity for affordable houses to set exemplary standards in terms of design and energy efficiency, with all affordable housing carbon neutral before the Government's own target date of 2016.
