Rural Housing Design – Long Term Occupants Vs. Modernisation

Rural areas have suffered a lot in recent years. Declining populations and lack of investment have not helped their cause. Because of this decline, many housebuilders have turned to the towns and cities to build their new homes. One regional housebuilder, however, still believes small developments in our East Yorkshire villages and towns will help rural communities survive. This person is Peter Ward of the housebuilder of the same name, the eponymous housebuilder.

"I live in a village, in fact, the location of one of our first sites," said Peter Ward. "I passionately believe in the development of our smaller towns and villages. Not in the same way we see our larger towns and cities being developed, but sympathetically and in the right locations. Without new build, many of our smaller communities cannot attract young families to stay, or relocaters to move to the countryside. Whilst many villages do not want to see change it is imperative that responsible builders are allowed to develop in such locations. If we are stopped then eventually the whole fabric of rural life will fall apart."

Many country dwellers reading this may think it's just another developer putting his own interests at first. But, lets look at the evidence. Rural schools are being shut, services such as Post Offices are closing and transport issues continue to be a problem. And why? One of the main reasons is the falling population in our rural communities. And, one of the reasons for this is the existing housing stock in these areas. Peter continues, "There are major reasons why housing in our villages causes problems. Firstly, much of it is long term occupied and unavailable to new buyers. When it does come on to the market, it requires extensive modernisation which is unappealing to many people. Properties that have been converted and updated tend to be expensive and outside the budget of many. Sizes are also a problem, traditional properties are normally too small or too large for the average family. Taking all these and many other problems into account, the answer is to build new houses, but to the right design."

At Peter Ward Homes the planning and design for rural development is carried out with great care and attention. There are many complicated issues and stringent conditions with a planning application, but the company go beyond even these. As award winning housebuilders, the design and appearance of their houses is very important. "When we build homes in a village or small town we need to have empathy. With the local community, the environment and nearby residents," said Peter. "Designs must satisfy planning and building regulations but they must also fit in. So we use materials that not only look good but weather well and compliment the locality."

To date, the company's sites around East Yorkshire have met with a good response from local communities and residents. Peter Ward Homes will continue their responsible development in rural locations. They see conservation and sympathetic development in the same way as the inhabitants of our rolling countryside. But, on top of this they also see the importance of building new houses in rural locations.

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About The Author:

Mark Harris is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.home-n-house-plans.com. The best place to find new home plans, home designs & houseplans is the Internet.