FARMERS and landowners in Yorkshire and the North-East are being urged to help provide land to ease the shortage of affordable housing in the countryside.

The Country Land and Business Association is asking members to consider providing small building plots, particularly on the edge of villages where there is a proven need for more homes for people on average or low incomes.

"It is the proven need test which is so important," said Dorothy Fairburn, Yorkshire regional director.

"Planning consent can be given for the building of a small number of affordable homes on land where development would not normally be allowed."

Rocketing house prices in many rural areas have made it increasingly difficult for many ordinary people to afford to live in villages and market towns.

Many young people with families have had to leave villages where they were brought up to seek cheaper accommodation in the towns, which has added to the problems of villages.

"Our villages are losing the very services which make them so attractive," said Miss Fairburn.

"The village shop, post office, school, church, and even the pub have been lost over the years. The fact that house prices are beyond the reach of young people with families has not helped to restore the health of rural communities.

"Building plots as small as a third of an acre can be used for affordable housing. We do not expect our members to give land away, particularly when agriculture has had such a bad time financially, but it is possible for the owner to sell below the market development price but above farm land value.

"The sites can then be developed and managed by housing associations to provide homes for rent only with tenants having no right to buy the freehold.

"Not being able to buy the freehold should help landowners to provide some low cost sites," said Miss Fairburn. "At least they will not see individuals profiting from their generosity."

She added that raising the full council tax levy on second homes was another way local councils could fund the provision of affordable houses in the countryside.

"Local councils may be empowered to remove the 50pc tax deduction on thousands of second homes.

"If that happens, the additional revenue should be ploughed directly into affordable housing. The Government did, after all, promise more affordable housing in its Rural White Paper but the number being built is well short of their target of 3,000 affordable rural homes a year."

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