Ryedale is characterised by the outstanding quality of its
countryside, rural villages and hamlets.
Concern had been expressed by many residents about the quality
of some of the new developments that were appearing in Ryedale and
as a result Ryedale District Council produced a Rural Design Guide
for use by prospective housebuilders and their designers.
Village Design
The Countryside Commission rural settlements are an important
part of the beauty and distinctiveness of the English Countryside
and are encouraging villages throughout the UK to produce Village
Design Statements to establish how new developments will be
integrated into rural areas. For further information please
see the Countryside Commission's Village Design Advisory
Booklet.
Affordable Housing in Ryedale
The provision of affordable Housing is one of the main
corporate objectives of the Council, the need for which was one of
the main findings of recent Housing Needs Surveys. In order to try
and address this issue the Council amended its Local Plan to
require the provision of an element of affordable housing on all
private housing development sites subject to their meeting the
qualifying threshold for such provision in both rural and urban
areas within the District.
The Council have also secured the services of a Rural Housing
Enabler in partnership with Scarborough BC whose remit is to
identify the rural housing need at Parish level through rural
housing needs surveys and to try and secure the provision of
affordable housing to meet the identified need. Such housing
provision will be available in perpetuity to meet this local
affordable housing need and make a valuable contribution to the
sustainability of rural communities.