Village homes for local people
Appleby Magna celebrates the completion of much needed homes.
I am thankful the new homes have allowed me to stay in Appleby Magna
Residents of the picturesque village of Appleby Magna are celebrating the opening of eight much needed affordable homes, which have been completed through a successful partnership process between East Midlands Housing Association, Leicestershire Rural Housing Association and North West Leicestershire District Council. They are available to households with a strong connection to the parish and are not subject to the Right To Buy.
At an opening event, Councillor Richard Blunt, Chairman of Leicestershire Rural Housing Association and Leader of North West Leicestershire District Council, gave the key address at the venue.
The new high quality affordable homes have provided much needed relief for local residents who have in the recent past found themselves unable to purchase or rent homes in their community due to high costs. Following the Parish Plan, work from the parish council and Leicestershire Rural Housing Enabler began the process to help identify and ease the housing demands within the community.
The provision of affordable homes means that members of the local community are now able to stay in areas where they were raised and maintain a strong local community and spirit.
In what became a truly successful team effort, a number of different organisations each played an important role in the process. As well as the parish council and Leicestershire Rural Housing Enabler identifying the need, East Midlands Housing (EMH) Group managed and financed development, the North West Leicestershire District Council provided support, and the Homes and Communities Agency contributed funding. Allocations and day-to-day management will be dealt with by Leicestershire Rural Housing Association.
Appleby Magna resident Stella Polashek, who has moved into a bungalow, has praised the development saying: "I have lived in Appleby for 28 years and it has been a wonderful community for me. I faced the awful prospect of having to move away as I needed a ground floor home for medical reasons and without this home I would not have been able to stay due to the high costs. I am thankful for the new homes in the community as they have allowed me to stay in Appleby Magna."
The opening celebrated the successful provision of homes on a Rural Exception Site and Appleby Magna is one of four openings coming this year in North West Leicestershire which represents nearly 40 homes in the area.
