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Two Castles Housing Association has welcomed an award to fund seven new high quality, affordable homes in rural Tynedale.

Earlier this month, the Housing Corporation announced it was awarding £470,799 to the Spirit partnership to build the affordable homes in the rural village of Slaley.

Rural specialists Two Castles Housing Association will soon apply for planning permission to develop seven two and three bedroom homes in Slaley village, Northumberland, with the help of the grant.

Three two bedroom bungalows and two three bedroom homes will be made available for low cost rent, and one three bedroom home and one two bedroom bungalow will for sale under a shared ownership scheme.

Slaley is the largest village in the attractive area to the south of Hexham, but with its idyllic landscapes and easy commuting distances to Newcastle, Slaley has become a victim of its own success.

Homebuyers are now attracted to the area from far and wide, with house prices and demand for property having risen considerably in recent years - making it more difficult for locals to get onto the housing ladder and for key workers to find suitable and affordable accommodation.

John Hay, development director at Two Castles, said: “As part of Spirit development partnership, we are thrilled to be awarded this grant from the Housing Corporation towards the total costs of the Slaley Village development.

“Affordable housing for locals and for key workers like nurses and teachers has become a big issue. We normally associate these problems with urban areas and inner cities, and it is a problem in other parts of the North East, but it is increasingly becoming an issue of particular concern in rural areas like Tynedale.

“Our ambitious development programme recognises our continued commitment to supporting the regeneration and sustainability of our villages, towns and cities across the whole of the North.”

Two developments by Two Castles Housing Association developments were recently hailed as shining examples of best practice in a new guide launched by His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales earlier this year.

Spirit partnership was set up last year to raise the level of social housing standards by providing more and better quality homes at less cost to the public purse.

The partnership consists of Two Castles Housing Association, Three Rivers Housing Group, Tees Valley Housing Group, Erimus Housing, Housing Hartlepool and Coast & Country Housing.

Two Castles Housing Association has offices at Carlisle, Kendal and Whitehaven in Cumbria, and at Newcastle upon Tyne. To find out more about Two Castles telephone 01228 541161 or visit www.twocastles.org.uk.

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