Little Furlongs, Orleton, Herefordshire

The scheme includes 14 affordable new homes in a North Herefordshire Village with a capacity to house 55 people.

Little FurlongsHousing Association
South Shropshire Housing Association

Download
To download a pdf of this case study, click here.

Partners
Herefordshire Council; Orleton Parish Council; Community-led Board; Homes & Communities Agency

Scheme outline
The scheme includes 14 affordable new homes in a North Herefordshire Village with a capacity to house 55 people. The homes are highly insulated, spacious, close to the village centre and within walking distance of the local school.

Four of the homes were available for sale under the government’s Homebuy shared ownership scheme.

All tenants have a strong local connection, verified by Orleton Parish Council.

Need
The impetus for these affordable houses came from a Housing Needs Survey which showed very clearly that there was an urgent need for affordable housing in Orleton.

There hadn’t been any new affordable homes built in the village for many years and parents were concerned that their children were being priced out of the market and having to look for cheaper alternative housing elsewhere.

Young families were vital to keep the village school populated.

Good practice
SSHA supported the villagers in forming a Project Board to comment on design, layout and standard of the houses. They met with the Parish Council and asked for volunteers for the Board. They attended meetings and listened to the concerns of the Project Board and made alterations to the plans where necessary. They played a vital role in ensuring residents could participate in key decision making.

The new homes have Air Source Heat Pumps which work by drawing the warmth from the air and can be effective even when temperatures are as low as -15C outside. The heat they absorb is boosted as it is transferred into a fluid and then compressed by the system.

The systems enable the homes to remain at a steady 17 to 22 degrees celsius year-round, with the help of efficient insulation, meaning they need very little temperature adjustment, this makes a genuine difference to the cost of keeping the house warm. This also helped the homes reach a Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4. The properties are also orientated to maximise passive solar gain and take  advantage of the far reaching views.

Funding
SSHA / Homes & Communities Agency – £1,868,223

“The impetus for these affordable houses came from a Housing Needs Survey which showed very clearly that there was an urgent need for affordable housing in Orleton. SSHA were admirable in supporting the villagers in forming a Project Board to comment on design, layout and standard of the houses. The end result has been most impressive.” Herefordshire County Councillor and Project Board member, Sebastian Bowen.

“I’m from the village and two of my three children go to the local school. Our new home is really spacious and the finish is excellent, they’ve thought of everything.” Jemma Deakin- Conlon, tenant

“Our approach in Orleton has been a real blueprint for the future. While many people living in rural communities want more affordable housing, they worry that new homes will spoil or over populate the village. By making them part of the decision making process, it takes away those fears and delivers a development that they feel is part of the community.” Paul Sutton, Director of Assets and Development at SSHA.