Why delivering Government housing targets in rural areas need not be bad news: Sally Ormiston

These changes, and the scale of housing need, mean rural areas will also need to accommodate new development, as well as urban locations. The fact that we need housing is clear, but housebuilding in rural locations can be controversial.

However, without new rural homes, the vitality and character of the places those who object look to protect are at risk.

Housing development in the countryside need not be bad news. On the contrary, with the right site selection, sensitive architectural design, schemes that deliver landscape enhancements and provide green space, and which are appropriate in scale and style, new rural homes can create improvements to rural places and the lives of those who live there.

Whilst reform is underway, planning still has an urban bias, and rural sites will always have to work harder to be considered suitable. That high bar – in terms of the volume, location, style, and scale of homes considered suitable in rural locations, is unlikely to be unduly diluted.

New rural homes being a boon rather than a blight depends on lots of factors. In our experience, where the landowner is involved from the off, and where they stay involved through the planning process, the delivery of quality rural housing that complements and integrates with existing settlements, services, and infrastructure is possible.

Unlocking rural sites for development takes a bit more thought: which architectural style would be most appropriate to the setting, how the scheme will sit in the landscape, how the natural environment will be protected and enhanced, the services that residents – both existing and new, will need, and how new housing development can deliver these.

We are involved in housing schemes across the region – from the earliest stages of appraising land for its suitability for development, through to delivery on site of schemes ranging from redundant farm conversions to large-scale settlement extensions.

Working with landowners and developers, we consistently see the desire to create high-quality and sustainable rural places. Homes that will enable more people to live in the countryside, from first-time buyers and those seeking affordable homes, to families and older people looking for suitable housing as their needs change.

Homes for people who will help reverse falling school enrolments, create more diverse communities, become the workforce and entrepreneurs for thriving rural enterprises, and customers for local businesses.

For rural Yorkshire to be a thriving place to live for future generations, we need homes that contribute to the vitality of our rural places, delivered with care and by those with an understanding of the unique needs of the countryside. At Rural Solutions, we believe that ‘good development’ is essential. We are committed to playing our part in making this a reality.