On Friday 5 July, residents of South Tawton, local councillors and Mel Stride MP celebrated six new affordable homes in the village, as part of Rural Housing Week from 1-5 July.
The six homes at Cannomede Cottages in South Tawton have been built on a rural exception site by specialist rural housing developer, Hastoe Housing Association, in close partnership with South Tawton Parish Council, West Devon Borough Council, Dartmoor National Park Authority and residents in the community. The development brings the number of affordable homes at Cannomede Cottages to 10 as four other affordable homes were completed by Hastoe in 1995.
Mel Stride, MP for Central Devon, marked the official completion of the housing scheme by cutting a ribbon and planting a tree, and emphasised the importance of building homes in rural areas. He said: “Delivering homes within Dartmoor National Park is not easy given the planning restrictions which are rightly in place to protect our beautiful part of Devon. But this development is proof that well-thought-out, eco-friendly homes built in the right places can really add to the park and help more local families be able to afford a place of their own.”
Working alongside the parish council and the local community, we made sure our houses were designed and built in keeping with the local environment and met local housing need. Our homes often have a big impact on local village life too, helping to keep families together and local amenities open.
The new development consists of one 1-bedroom house, two 2-bedroom houses and three 3-bedroom houses for affordable rent. All 10 of the homes are now fully occupied.
Hastoe worked closely with South Tawton Parish Council in delivering the six new homes to help meet the need for more affordable housing in the village. Construction began in June 2017 and the new homes were developed in partnership with architects Walter Newton, contractors Coyde Construction, and employer’s agent Randall Simmonds.
The homes have been designed in a traditional style with a mix of materials to fit with the character of the village. They’ve also been built to a high energy-efficient standard to help reduce fuel bills for residents.
I’m loving my new home. We used to rent privately but our cottage was very damp and only had 2 bedrooms so my children, a boy and a girl, had to share. Having 3 bedrooms means they now have their own space and my youngest is sleeping much better. Living in a cul-de-sac also means they can safely play outside with the other kids. It feels like a real home and we’re part of our own little community.
Cllr Andrew Sampson, Chair of South Tawton Parish Council, said: “This new development of six homes makes a valuable addition to the four other houses built by Hastoe in 1995. These homes are not only pleasing to the eye, they provide a safe place to live in a beautiful part of Devon right on the national park. I want to thank everyone who made it possible.”
Cllr Lynn Daniel, Ward Councillor for South Tawton, said: “This has been a fantastic opportunity for a relatively small rural village on Dartmoor to provide local homes for local people. Officers from the Council, Dartmoor National Park Authority and Hastoe worked collaboratively on this project to provide much needed affordable housing. We are very grateful to Hastoe, as they have delivered a small scheme in comparison to what is normally delivered, which proves their ethos of delivering local housing for local people. All of the properties were allocated through Devon Home Choice, Hastoe Housing Association has given the occupants of these homes the opportunity to live in a home in a village where they have their local connections such as work and support from family.”
Cllr Philip Sanders, Chair of the Development Management Committee for the Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA), said: “It’s only through the close co-operation and collaboration of everyone involved that has made this possible. First of all by sitting down and talking about what we want to achieve, then by working together to make sure it happened. Cannomede Cottages is a great example of partnership working at its best.”
