Derbyshire Live reports a Derbyshire council has secured new powers aimed at building more affordable housing in rural villages and hamlets

Derbyshire Dales District Council first discussed the aim to obtain the new powers last January and it has now disclosed that this request was successful, coming into force in December.

Until this successful bid, the council was only able to ask developers building 10 homes or more to include affordable housing as part of their proposed schemes.

However, the authority will now be able to request affordable housing be included in smaller schemes, of five homes or more, which should result in more being built.

The council was facing an issue where developers in rural parts of the Dales were typically submitting schemes of less than 10 homes, due to the cost of building on sites where little infrastructure exists.

This meant that villages and hamlets in the Dales were not seeing many or any affordable homes being built.

Councillors have previously discussed how this issue has led to young people and families leaving their place of birth in order to find a home, leaving villages and hamlets with a much older population and schools in those areas with far fewer children.

The new powers would not affect areas in the Peak District National Park, where the district council does not oversee planning policies.

Full article:

Derbyshire Live - More affordable homes could be built in rural village and hamlets in the Derbyshire Dales