HOPES of affordable housing coming to Kilmington took a knock last week following the announcement that The Rural Housing Trust had pulled out of the scheme.  The registered charity has scrapped plans to build 11 homes for people with a “local connection” due to “the prevailing difficult trading conditions”.
However, Kilmington Parish Council chairman Michael Collier said the village association would be making appointments with “two or three” housing providers to ensure the village did not lose out.
Mr Collier said: “We were obviously disappointed with the news but we are still going on. It  is definitely a priority that we want to go ahead through one of the housing providers.
“It is a priority for the village and we are not going to let it go because it is an essential part of the village to provide housing to the young people of the village.”
A statement on The Rural Housing Trust website said that although demand for affordable rural housing was high and there was potential value in its work, the organisation was unable to withstand the prevailing difficult trading conditions.
The not-for-profit organisation generated the larger part of its income from developing small village schemes for Registered Social Landlords.
Alison Read, Area Programme Manager for The Rural Housing Trust, said: “Our principal concern over the coming weeks will be passing villages on to other like minded organisations to offer parishes other options to continue their affordable housing projects.”
Although operations will cease, the trust intends to retain the equity in its 443 shared ownership homes around the country and to continue its aims to further the provision of affordable rural housing.
The trust’s statement said; “Having established a significant pipeline of schemes by working closely with parish councils and landowners in particular, the trust is concerned that these potential schemes are not abandoned
“During the winding down process, the trust will aim to ensure the handover of these schemes to like-minded organisations.”