Rural Housing Scheme Named after Tarrant Gunville Villager

Published by Tina for Spectrum Housing Group in Housing

Monday 24th September 2012 - 4:32pm

Valerie Miller (centre) reveals the new road sign for Bailey Cottages, named after her father Elliott Bailey. She is pictured with estate owner Jim Farquharson (right) and Spectrum Housing Group board member Ian Keys (left).

The official naming of Bailey Cottages in Tarrant Gunville took place on 24^th September, coinciding with the start of Rural Housing Week – an awareness campaign by the National Housing Federation to highlight rural housing issues.

Bailey Cottages is an affordable rent scheme from Spectrum Housing Group, designed by Howard, Shreeve& Turnbull of Blandford and constructed by Dorsetbuilders C. G. Fry and enabled by North Dorset District Council. The need for these family homes is very great with an average house price in the village ofaround £405,000– a price many locals just can’t afford. The development consists of 4 semi-detached houses that will be let to people with a strong local connection. This makes their name very appropriate because they have been named in honour of life long villager Elliott Bailey who died in 2009 at the age of 86.

Estate owner Jim Farquharson who sold some of his land for the homes employed Elliott and knew him well: - “Elliott was a true Gunville person in every sense, born in the village he so loved in 1923. A very different village life to the one today, drawing water from the well; filling and fuelling the copper for the Monday wash, the outdoor privy, all part of a village daily life now long gone. His first job when 14 was at Eastbury Park for my grandfather, the “Squire”, helping in the grounds and showing an early mechanical interest with the generators used to power the house electric.”

“Elliott was a great villager; an enduring character and a true Countryman and he would have been pleased to see these homes built on estate land for the benefit of local people,” he said.

Elliott’s daughter Valerie Miller officially unveiled the name of the development. She still lives in the village and is looking forward to seeing the first families move in.

Ian Keys, Board Member for Spectrum Housing Group said: “Affordable rural housing is very important because it enables families to live near each other, providing an important social support system. Without this type of housing, people would have to move away and lose the chance to have their own home in their own community.”

Affordable rural housing is in great demand because house prices are high but average earnings for villagers are low. It has been a North Dorset District Council’s priority for many years and Bailey Cottages is part of their commitment to serving this need.

The homes are due for completion in December 2012 and anyone wishing to live in them should register their interest at www.dorsethomechoice.org. Alternatively, call 01258 454111 or visit the North Dorset District Council office in Salisbury Road, Blandford.

ENDS

Editor’s notes:

Bailey Cottages

Unit types: a pair of 2 bedroom 4 person semi-detached houses and a pair of 3 bedroom 5 person semi-detached houses.

Affordable rents will be charged subject to Local Housing Allowance cap and 80% market rents. 2-bed houses anticipated at £120.19 per week and 3-bed houses at £133.98 per week, plus service charge.

Spectrum Housing Group contracted with Dorset family business C G Fry & Son to build this scheme on Greenfield “exception” land acquired from Eastbury Estates, owned by Jim Farquharson.

Key Features: Timber frame construction. All houses meet Code Level 4 for sustainability and include Air Source Heat Pumps.

Total Scheme Cost: £636,000

Total Grant: £260,000 comprising:

£71,000 Spectrum Housing Group

£159,000 Recycled Capital Grant Fund

£30,000 Local Authority (North Dorset District Council)

Rural Housing Week

Rural Housing Week sets out to highlight the important role that affordable housing plays in keeping rural communities vibrant

It takes place between 24 and 30 September 2012 in the South East and East of England, and will see housing associations organising events to raise awareness of the need for housing in small towns and villages.

http://www.housing.org.uk/policy/rural_housing/rural_housing_week.aspx

House prices in Tarrant Gunville

Tarrant Gunville properties with an average current value of £405,275, compared to an average property value of £260,859 for DT11. There have been 7 property sales in DT11 over the last 5 years with an average house price paid of £388,500. There are currently 98 properties to buy in DT11 with an average asking price of £270,405.

Source: Stuart Warnock, Symonds & Sampson (Blandford Office) Tel: 01258 452670

Spectrum Housing Group

Spectrum Housing Group comprises:

• Spectrum Medina

• Spectrum Signpost

• Spectrum Signpost Homes

• Spectrum Property Care

• Spectrum Western Challenge

• Spectrum Premier Homes

Spectrum Housing Group owns and manages over 18,000 homes throughout the South, South West and Midlands.

The Group’s vision is:

“Great neighbourhoods, homes and services and a great place to work”.