Record number of affordable homes being built across Harborough district

A record number of affordable homes have been provided across the Harborough district helping people struggling to find a property.
Chris Jones from emh [East Midlands Housing] with Cllr Phil King in front of the attractive affordable homes at the new Mill Fields development in Broughton AstleyChris Jones from emh [East Midlands Housing] with Cllr Phil King in front of the attractive affordable homes at the new Mill Fields development in Broughton Astley
Chris Jones from emh [East Midlands Housing] with Cllr Phil King in front of the attractive affordable homes at the new Mill Fields development in Broughton Astley

More than 120 affordable homes were built in the Harborough district in the last year – exceeding Harborough District Council targets of 90 per year.

It is the highest ever number of affordable homes provided in the district – based on data captured every year since 2003.

It includes affordable homes in Kibworth, Lutterworth, Broughton Astley, Thurnby, Billesdon, Great Easton, Ullesthorpe, and Market Harborough.

Affordable housing is that which can be rented or purchased at a lower rate than housing on the open market.

The district council requires developers to provide 40 per cent affordable housing in rural areas, on new developments of 10 properties or more, and 30 per cent in larger settlements.

The council said the number of affordable homes being completed has been helped by increased developer activity and a number of housing sites being completed and coming on to the market.

Councillor Phil King, Deputy Leader of Harborough District Council, said: “This is a fantastic achievement and will be welcome news to those people struggling to find a property – including those looking for bungalows, affordable rent, or shared ownership opportunities. We work closely with developers and housing associations to ensure affordable housing is provided for the benefit of those people in our district who need it.”

The council is forecasting that it could improve on this figure by helping provide between 125 and 150 new affordable homes over the coming year.

Chris Jones, emh group Executive Director of Development, said: “We have an ambitious growth programme that will see us delivering 500 new affordable homes a year from 2019 onwards. It is only through our strong partnerships with foresighted local authorities like Harborough that we will be able to achieve that vision, and provide the right homes in the right places.”