Affordable rural housing: key facts
New afforable rural housing: 2005/2006
In 2005/06 23% of all new units of affordable housing supplied in England were provided in rural local authority areas - a total of 10,189 new homes. This comprises 20% of all new intermediate housing units (a combination of low cost home ownership and intermediate rent) and 25% of all new social rented homes. 23% of the population of England lives in these areas.
- Chart 1 shows that the most new affordable homes in 2005/06 were provided in major urban local authority districts (17,756), followed by other urban (7,773) rural-80 (5,402), large urban (4,828), rural-50 (4,787) and significant rural districts (4,315).
- In 2005/06 there were a total of 44,861 new units of affordable housing provided (both new build and acquisitions). This figure can be broken down into new social rented homes and new properties for low-cost home ownership or intermediate rent.
- In 2005/06 10,189 or 23% of all new units of affordable housing supplied in England were provided in rural local authority areas (rural-50 and rural-80).
- Nationally, 23,349 new social rented homes were created during 2005/06. 5,847 of these new homes were provided in rural local authority areas – just over a quarter of the total provided.
- Nationally, a total of 21,512 properties were provided through intermediate housing schemes. 4,342 of these homes - or 20%, were delivered in rural local authority areas.
- In 2005/06, the majority of new affordable rural homes were delivered in the most rural districts. 5,402 new dwellings were delivered in districts where more than 80% of the population lives in a rural settlement.
- Using the local authority classification, a similar proportion of the population (12% each) live in rural-50 and rural-80 areas. 64% of the population live in urban areas and 13% live in significant rural (mixed) areas.
Right to Buy and Right to Acquire
- In 2005/06 3,196 or 12% of all Right to Buy sales took place in a rural local authority district. Of these, 926 or 3% were in the most rural districts (rural-80 areas).
- In 2005/06 only 30 purchases under the Right to Acquire took place in rural districts and just 18 of these were in the most rural local authority areas.
- The Right to Acquire does not apply in smaller rural settlements (typically under 3,000 population) - because replacement of social housing can pose particular difficulties.
Page last
modified: 23 April 2007
Page published: 20 September 2006