Village to build its own homes supply

A remote community within the Yorkshire Dales National Park is to move forward with plans to create its own supply of affordable homes as it struggles to secure its future faced with dwindling numbers of young families.

Arkengarthdale has lost its post office and shop, bank and scheduled bus services.

A REMOTE community within the Yorkshire Dales National Park is to move forward with plans to create its own supply of affordable homes as it struggles to secure its future faced with dwindling numbers of young families,

The village of Arkengarthdale, dating back to the 15th century and once a thriving centre for lead mining, has over the past 30 years lost its post office and shop, bank and scheduled bus services, while its small school now has just 14 pupils on the roll.

Affordable homes to rent are desperately needed to “stem a spiral of deeply rural decline”, parish leaders have said, setting up a community-led land trust.

Now, as architects and planning consultants are appointed for the first four homes, and grants sought for £750,000, those driving the ambition say it could forge a future for deeply rural communities.

“I cannot underestimate the importance of the success of the scheme for the future sustainability of all the deeply rural communities in the Upper Dales,” said county councillor John Blackie, chairman of the Upper Dales Community Land Trust.

“Affordable housing to rent in perpetuity is the key component of a vibrant future for these communities, as the Government’s Right to Buy legislation threatens to remove from the rental sector most of the 150 houses belonging to housing associations that are located in the Upper Dales.”

The land trust, set up in October, will initially come under the umbrella of the Upper Dales Community Partnership, which has seen Hawes dubbed the “most self-reliant community in the country”, running its own community office, bus service, post office and petrol station.

The village of Arkgarthdale has no social housing to service its population of 250 and this, says Coun Blackie, is placing the viability of the Dale under threat.

Young people and young families are most in need, parish leaders say, with the alternative for them being to leave the area altogether as they priced out of the communities they grew up in.

Coun Stephen Stubbs, deputy chairman of the land trust and chairman of Arkengarthdale Parish Council, said the goal was to hand over keys to the first new occupants by September next year.

“We are hoping they will be occupied by young people or young families with children as they will send out a message that Arkengarthdale has a bright future, a message that will invite others to stay, and attract new families from beyond the Dale to settle here,” he said.

“We very warmly welcome the scheme as it is just what we need.”