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04
Mar 2023
Council-backed Masham project to show how rural towns can keep young people
A group behind an ambitious project in Masham hopes it will become an example in how to keep young people living in rural communities.
MPs published a report last year found that rural economies can struggle due to a lack of affordable housing for young people.
It said the government’s definition of affordable housing was misleading with new builds often out of reach for many.
According to the report, this has resulted in young people moving away in their droves from the places they grew up in — taking their money with them, too.
To help tackle the problem, a not-for-profit company called Peacock and Verity Community Spaces (P&VCS) hopes to offer four genuinely affordable homes that will only be available to people with links to Masham.
However, housing is just one element of the unique project. It will also include an Edwardian-style tea room, a grocery, a post office and a heritage centre.
P&VCS has already secured full planning permission to refurbish 15 Silver Street, a building with a long and storied history.
As reported in January, the project has won £222,000 in funding from Harrogate Borough Council and has also been supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund with a £71,000 grant.
Read More:
- Affordable housing scheme in Masham wins £150,000 funding
- Post office to return to Masham in £1.5m heritage scheme
The group’s chair Alan Hodges told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the project will have many benefits for Masham.
He said:
P&VCS’ mission statement states the homes in Masham will only be available to people with family, work or historic links to the area.
This means there’s no chance that the apartments could be rented out as holiday homes or be sold on for a profit.
Mr Hodges added:
Storied history
Mr Hodges said the project will provide six full-time jobs and learning opportunities for residents and visitors.
The ground floor will be restored into a Victorian grocers from when the building was in its heyday and there will be an Edwardian-style tearoom inspired by the cafe that was part of the building in the 1900s.
An Illustration Of What Peacock & Verity Will Look Like Once Complete C Peacock & Verity.
It will also bring a Post Office counter back to Masham and create a new heritage centre celebrating the story of the town and the area.
It’s a back-to-the-future approach to development that Mr Hodges believes will show similar towns how community-led projects can grow rural economies.
And to give the project an even more local touch, it will tap into Masham’s rich sheep-farming heritage by using wool to insulate the building with help from Leeds Beckett University.
Mr Hodges added:
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