A young dad says he has secured a “little piece of the countryside” for his family after they moved into one of 20 new affordable homes built in a 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 went to the village nursery, primary and secondary schools and is a keen fisherman with the local angling club.
After 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.
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“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, - one of the largest housing associations in the region.
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.”
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