LiveWest has pledged to build around 645 homes in rural areas across the South West over the next three years.
We have outlined our plans to invest in rural economies as the housing sector celebrates Rural Housing Week, a national campaign designed to shine a spotlight on the vital importance of housing associations for rural communities.
Over the past two years, LiveWest has demonstrated its commitment by building 388 homes in rural areas across the South West region.
The largest affordable housing provider in the region has invested over £39.9m during the last financial year, having built 193 homes in rural areas. The total is made up of 108 in Devon and 85 in Somerset.
Gareth Jones, our Development Director, said: “Delivering vital affordable housing in rural areas is one of the cornerstones of our development programme at LiveWest.
“We know that rural housing provision not only brings social and economic benefits to communities, but to the country as a whole.
“Homes in rural areas enable people to remain living in an area where they currently live or work, or to return to somewhere they grew up and have family connections.
In the next three years, LiveWest is planning to develop 158 homes in Somerset, 251 in Devon, 182 in Cornwall and 54 in the West of England.
It means around 20% per cent of LiveWest’s development programme is made up of homes in rural areas.
Gareth added: “Rural Housing Week is an opportunity to talk about how rural housing developments offer essential homes to local people and underlines how vital new homes are in supporting thriving rural communities and services.
“An affordable and decent home is essential for people across the South West to live well and thrive.
“We have ambitious rural development plans with a focus very much on the delivery of new affordable housing for rent so that local people can find a home they can afford.
“Alongside our ambitious plans to build around 645 homes in rural areas in the next three years, we are also focusing on their energy performance to ensure all our new properties are affordable to heat and comfortable to live in.”
Find out more about our rural housing plans throughout the campaign for Rural Housing Week this week.