A young dad feels lucky to have secured a “little piece of the countryside” for his family after they moved into one of 20 new affordable homes built in a stunning rural County Durham village.
Ben Morris, partner Chloe Hurton, and their son William are among the first residents of believe housing’s latest development, Stanners Close, in Wolsingham.
Ben was raised in Wolsingham and feels rooted in the community.
He went to the village nursery, primary and secondary schools, is a keen fisherman with the local angling club, and has many friends and relatives in Wolsingham and the surrounding Durham dales.
So, after excitedly watching Stanners Close take shape from planning through to construction, the network operations centre engineer was delighted when his family secured one of the new homes.
The 26-year-old said: “This is a great opportunity for me and my family to stay in Wolsingham.
“This is definitely a place we want to stay for the rest of our lives.
“I feel very lucky to live in a home like this, it’s just amazing. We have both come from rural villages, which I believe is important, and now we have our little piece of the countryside.”
“It’s just a really nice community, everyone is really friendly,” added hospital receptionist Chloe.
“We’re very happy here and feel it is somewhere good to raise William.”
The couple, who previously rented a private house in another village, are in one of 11 Rent to Buy homes at Stanners Close. This means they will pay below market rent so they can save to buy their home after five years.
Seven two-bed houses and two bungalows were all allocated for affordable rent by believe housing, which is one of the largest housing associations in the north east of England.
Rebecca Marshall, Development Delivery Manager at believe housing, said: “A small development like this, of 20 homes with a sympathetic design, supports the community not only during construction but for years to come.
“It is allowing local families to stay in the area, and we are also providing good quality accessible homes for those with medical needs.”
Sitting on the edge of the picturesque rural village and acting as a gateway to the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the homes are built of coursed sandstone with slate appearance roofs to suit the surroundings.
And local contractors were used during construction, supporting the regional economy and reducing the site’s carbon footprint.
Rebecca added: “It was really important for us to get the right design, for it to look like it had always been here and to blend in with other housing in the area.
“The end result is fabulous.”
New homes designed with residents’ needs and energy efficiency in mind have more than hit the brief, including for the parents of a disabled boy who were among the first people to move in.
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believe housing colleagues and contractors have upgraded a school fence to help make the grounds feel safer and look smarter.
