If you work or have worked in agriculture and other rural industries and you need a place to live to continue contributing to the countryside economy, you may be eligible to apply for our Affordable Houses scheme.
A recent barn conversion into affordable housing in Cumbria
Offering affordable rents to ensure rural workers on low incomes are not disadvantaged by open market prices, this scheme is a key part of what we want to contribute towards – a vibrant and sustainable countryside where rural workers like you can afford to live, work and be happy.
We believe what we offer is unique: you can only apply for our Affordable Houses if you work within or are retiring from a rural business. The properties we make available in this scheme will always remain entirely in our ownership to ensure we can continue to support people if your circumstances change and you move on.
Many of the properties we receive as legacies become Affordable Houses. We also benefit from the generous donation of designated building plots and the purchase of new houses at build cost.
To complement this work, any legacy farms which we are generously bestowed will be used to support the next generation of agricultural workers through our newly created Young Entrant Scheme.
Currently, we do not have any vacancies in our Affordable Housing homes, but please contact us if you would like to register your interest should a vacant property become available.
Trevorva Barns, Cornwall
Our first affordable rural housing project specifically for rural families, Trevora Barns is a former redundant stone barn that belonged to Cornwall Council. We oversaw its redevelopment in 2005, creating five homes which are now rented to people with occupational links to agriculture.
Officially opened by HRH the Prince of Wales in 2006, these barn conversions range from a single-storey, 1-bedroom home to a 3-bedroom, two-storey family home. Rents vary according to each property’s size.
Over the years, changing circumstances have seen a turnover of occupants. One former tenant told us that their home at Trevorva Barns had given them breathing space, while they sorted out their future prospects. This is a sentiment that demonstrates exactly how our Affordable Homes scheme can help you.
This particular redevelopment has afforded us the welcome opportunity to help young farmworkers who are priced out of open market rents. We recognise that this is a major problem within agriculture and a barrier to progression within the industry. By playing our part to remedy this, we want to provide encouragement for, and the practical means to, embrace fulfilling agricultural careers.
We gratefully acknowledge the support received from the EU’s ‘Objective One’ Funding in 2006, which meant the conversion of these barns could be carried out.
“A vibrant and sustainable countryside where rural workers like you can afford to live, work and be happy.”
Ruthvoes Live/Work
These four live/work units in rural Cornwall were officially opened by HRH the Earl of Wessex in 2013.
A beautiful development in the hamlet of Ruthvoes, near St Columb, it comprises of three 3-bedroom properties and one 2-bedroom property in a courtyard setting. Each has its own workshop.
The site, previously a redundant council farm, is ideal for people from a rural industry to start their own business. It also suits people who are thinking of leaving farming but wish to remain self-employed in the rural sector. One of the houses is designed for wheelchair access. It features a ground floor bedroom, wet room and wider door openings.
The project was carried out by Cornish construction company Ron Bullock Ltd. Thanks to EU funding, it is fitted with energy efficient Solar PV Panels as well as Ground Source Heat Pumps which heat both the workshops and houses.
During the official unveiling, His Royal Highness told of how he hoped this model of work/live units could be repeated in other rural locations.
Worcestershire
Two 3-bedroom semi-detached homes were built for us in 2014 on land donated by the late John Collins, founder of Collins Calfmate.
John was a farmer himself and appreciated how difficult it can be for farming and rural workers to find affordable homes to rent.
Thanks to John’s generosity, we have been able to create homes for people with a connection to agriculture to live in a location where they work and would otherwise have been priced out of.
We are grateful also to Kendrick Homes who built these houses at cost. By doing so, we are able to continue offering these rural homes to rural workers at an affordable rent.
Ceredigion, West Wales
We were bequeathed our first property in 2015.
A detached 3-bedroom house in a rural location in West Wales, this will initially be made available to people working locally within agriculture.
