Affordable housing for local families

Positive planning policies are starting to make a difference with a total of 34 affordable homes constructed or underway in Exmoor National Park since the policy giving priority to local families in need of affordable housing was first implemented by the National Park Authority in 2005. In addition to this 21 planning applications have been submitted and are under consideration and there are pre-application discussions underway for about another 46 units.

The National Park Authority was praised by the Local Plan Inspector for the extensive consultation with local communities through ‘Planning for Real’, where nearly a quarter of Exmoor residents turned out to the 21 events and consultation was held in all the schools within the National Park. In every parish concern was expressed that many families could not afford their own homes in the area. These concerns were listened to and addressed by including policies in the local Plan which prioritized affordable housing to meet the needs of local communities.

In Exford, nine new homes are now being built. Each house will be subject to a planning tie to ensure that they can only be occupied by people who can demonstrate a strong local connection with the immediate area. The homes are being built by Ilfracombe-based builders, Drystone, on behalf of Falcon Rural Housing. Falcon has its origins in Exmoor, having built its first housing scheme in Timberscombe over twenty years ago. The housing association has a strong commitment to providing affordable housing specifically for local people, and are now seeking applicants for the new homes.

Falcon has a strong tradition of innovation in house building, and in recent years has produced some of the most energy efficient houses in the country, ensuring that tenants pay as little as possible for heating. The new Exford homes are no exception. The various house types use solar thermal hot water, ground source heat pumps, and multi-fuel burners for economic heating and to reduce impact on climate change.

A particular innovation on this scheme is the use of Hemcrete as the insulating wall structure for the two single-storey houses. This is a mixture of hemp and lime which produces a very high level of insulation. Like some traditional building materials such as cob and rammed earth structures, the Hemcrete walls will have a “breathing wall” capability, taking moisture out of the air inside the building, and transferring it through the wall structure to the outside. This maintains humidity levels inside the home at the correct level for human comfort, whilst minimising the opportunity for condensation, mould and fungal growth. In short, these will be healthy homes.

Hemcrete was chosen as a trial product on this scheme, after discussions between the Rural Housing Enabler, Colin Savage, and Falcon Rural Housing. “I did some research on sustainable building methods back in 2007” said Colin Savage, “and was particularly impressed with what Hemcrete seems to offer. As well as producing healthier, highly insulated buildings, it also locks up CO2 in its structure, making the construction of these homes carbon negative.”

Using innovative building methods such as this will help Exmoor National Park to lower its carbon footprint and to be better prepared to face the challenges posed by diminishing global oil reserves. Tim Stokes , Sustainability and Economy Manager at Exmoor National Park Authority is currently working with ECOS Trust, the Somerset College of Arts and Technology , the Rural Housing Project, and the Devon Sustainable Buildings Initiative, to identify the availability and usability of local sustainable construction materials in the Greater Exmoor area. Tim says: “The first report is due soon and we hope that the findings will lead to an increased use of local and sustainable construction materials in building projects in and around Exmoor such as the scheme being developed by ECOS Homes in Carhampton ." He added, "By using local materials, developers and others involved in building projects on Exmoor will also be helping the local economy by spending money locally."