Housing Commission Recognises Blenheim’s Radical Approach to Affordable Homes

The ‘Living with Beauty’ report, by the government’s Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission, aims to promote health, well-being and sustainable growth.

The 180-page report singles out Blenheim’s commitment to offering rental properties at up to 40% below market rates.

Commenting on the scheme the report notes: ‘If longer-term interests can be encouraged, we can expect to see more landowners and developers nurturing successful communities.

As well as truly affordable rents, shared ownership homes are available for part buy and part rent with the aim of keeping all their affordable homes affordable in perpetuity.’

The report was led by the late academic Roger Scruton and Create Streets founder Nicholas Boys Smith and makes numerous proposals on how to make beautiful homes ‘the norm’.

“We are pleased to see our affordable housing scheme featured in the report and the Commission’s comments on it ‘nurturing successful communities’,” said Blenheim Property Director and COO Roger File.

“Blenheim has an absolute commitment to provide high quality, affordable properties for local people which will enable young families to remain and work within the local community.

“Developments like the one we are creating at Hanborough Gate have been specifically designed to address the long-term issue of a lack of affordable housing within West Oxfordshire,” he added.

As well as providing high quality affordable housing available across the country the government-commissioned report also recommends planting trees, giving powers to local authorities to set design standards, and tax breaks for retrofitted buildings.

It took over a year to produce and involved interviews with over 150 experts and visits to 20 housing schemes across the country.

Property is an integral part of Blenheim’s 10-year development programme that includes tripling the Estate’s contribution to the local economy, delivering 300 truly affordable homes for local families and creating a £45m endowment fund to ensure the long-term future of the World Heritage Site.