Adding to the lovely community on Fenn Close, Nassington

Northamptonshire Rural Housing celebrate a third phase of affordable home development in Nassington during Rural Housing Week 2021.

The small rural scheme, which is strongly supported by the community, will bring an additional nine, much-needed affordable properties to the village. The affordable homes, which are due to be completed in Spring 2022, will be prioritised for local people with a connection to Nassington.

During Rural Housing Week, Sarah Rodger, Clerk at Nassington Parish Council, and Carol Conway, Housing Strategy and Delivery Manager at North Northamptonshire Council, joined us and our development partners Orbit and Snowdon Homes on site to see the great work in progress.

This is the third phase of the community-led affordable housing provided by NRHA on Fenn Close. It builds on the success of eight homes delivered in phase one in 1994, and a further nine homes in phase two in 2006.

Creating these new homes will make a real difference to local people and are the result of the continuing strong relationships between the association, Nassington Parish Council, the community and North Northamptonshire Council.

For Tracey Gilder moving into one of the first phase Fenn Close homes built in 1994, meant she was able to stay in the village she'd lived in all her life:

“We love our home; without it we wouldn’t have been able to afford to live in the village. I grew up here, as did my dad, grandfather and great grandfather! And we're two doors away from our grandchildren which is wonderful for family life. It’s great that more families will also benefit from these new affordable homes. It's exciting to watch them being built.”

The new homes will be a mix of one, two and three bedroom properties, three for social rent and three to buy as shared ownership. They will always only be available to rent or buy by local people.

NRHA are committed to building to high environmental standards and these homes will incorporate the latest in air source heating technology, providing cost-effective heating, whilst reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

And, together with local developers Snowdon Homes, NRHA are also contributing towards the cost of a defibrillator for the community to be housed on one of the new homes, supporting the great work of the Nassington Defibrillators scheme.

The support and commitment from the Parish Council and North Northamptonshire Council have been unwavering. Chair of the Parish Council, Alan Burns explains just what these homes mean for the village:

“Housing is expensive in these villages, so to ensure Nassington remains a vibrant and vital place, we’re meeting the housing needs of current and future residents. As a village and a parish council, we are very proud of the first two phases of the homes at Fenn Close and confident that phase three will prove to be just as popular.”

Cllr Andy Mercer, North Northamptonshire Council Executive member for Housing and Community, said:

“This is a beautiful, and highly desirable, part of North Northants. As such, housing in Nassington and the surrounding villages can be prohibitively expensive for local people.

“Providing affordable local housing in these villages is essential if we are to maintain the strong community links which have evolved over the decades. The alternative is that the villages will slowly become dormitory communities with a consequent decline in local services.

“I’m delighted to support this scheme, and hope to support other similar schemes in the future.”

Cllr David Howes, North Northamptonshire Council’s Executive member for Rural Communities and Localism, said:

“I’m delighted to see such a scheme become a reality in North Northants and that the new homes will be prioritised for local people with a connection to their village.

“Our villages are a wonderful asset and it’s important that we do what we can to help maintain their unique character.”

To find out more about these new homes and how to apply, visit: www.northamptonshirerha.org.uk/nassington3

Photo left to right:
Jason Clarke (Head of Development, Orbit Homes Midlands), Sarah Rodger (Clerk, Nassington Parish Council), Patrick Taylor (Consultant Contracts Manager, Orbit Homes Midlands), Helen Ware (NRHA), John Leydon (Commercial Director, Snowdon Homes), Neil Gilliver (NRHA), Carol Conway (Housing Strategy and Delivery Manager, North Northamptonshire Council) and Mark Boon (NRHA)

Published: 07 July 2021