New affordable houses were built on Haughton Way in Walesby by Nottingham Community Housing Association.

Nineteen new affordable homes in the countryside have been officially opened.

The new scheme owned and managed by Nottingham Community Housing Association opened the properties on Haughton Way in Walesby.

The scheme is providing affordable housing for both rent and shared ownership.

The land for the new homes on the edge of Walesby is termed a rural exception site, allowing the building of affordable homes with the sole purpose of addressing local housing needs.

Philippa McKenna, project delivery manager at Midlands Rural Housing said: “We’ve worked with Newark and Sherwood District Council and NCHA for many years to provide homes of all tenures for people in rural communities.

“It is vital that these homes are only made available to people with a local connection to the community, and that they stay affordable and available to local people in perpetuity.”

The new homes are a mix of two-bedroom bungalows and two and three-bedroom homes. The low carbon homes are fitted with solar panels and car charging points.

Allan Fisher, director of development and assets at NCHA comments: “These new homes are part of our commitment to deliver quality affordable homes that people will be proud to live in. “We are delighted that these energy efficient homes have been awarded with an EPC A rating.”

The rented homes have been allocated through Newark and Sherwood’s Choice Based Lettings Scheme.

The houses were designed and developed by NCHA’s in-house team Pelham, and built by contractors RG Carter Construction. The development cost in the region of £3.6 million and was jointly funded by Homes England and NCHA.

Rowan Cozens, deputy leader, of Newark and Sherwood District Council says; “I am delighted to have the opportunity to shine a spotlight on phase 2 of the affordable rural exception scheme at Haughton Way.

“The lack of affordable housing is a growing problem in many rural communities and these schemes help to keep small communities in the countryside alive by enabling young and old alike to remain in villages where they have family connections.

“It is a testament to the strong partnership between NCHA, Newark and Sherwood District Council and MRH that the scheme has been developed for people who need it the most.

We will continue to work with partners to ensure a supply of affordable housing for rent and purchase is available for local people in the future.”

Tim Owen, senior project manager at R G Carter says; “We were delighted to continue our partnership with NCHA to deliver much-needed housing for the community.

“It has been wonderful to see these affordable homes in Walesby now handed over for the benefit of local people, and we hope the residents enjoy their new homes, for many years to come.”