Homes in Harbury are given to locals in first scheme of its kind

The nine market houses have all been sold to households with a local connection to the village. Demand for the properties has rapidly outstripped supply, with nearly half the houses for sale at Harbury Fields off Bush Heath Lane reserved within hours of being put on the market.

The first scheme of its kind in the district, Harbury Fields was developed by Linfoot Country Homes in partnership with Harbury Parish Council and Warwickshire Rural Housing Association, following an in depth survey into local housing needs.

Houses were only available to those with a strong local connection to Harbury or Deppers Bridge – such as being current or former residents, having a relative in the village, or working in the parish.

So great was the demand for the nine open market properties that househunters queued from 6am on the day the scheme launched to snap up the homes.

Linfoot Country Homes has a long list of local people who missed out on buying in the first phase and are keen to buy one of the houses to be built in phase two, for which outline planning permission has already been granted.

Linfoot Country Homes development director Claire Linfoot McLean explained: “Usually rural housing schemes offer only affordable housing to rent but Harbury Fields is different because we also offered market housing for sale exclusively to local people. We have been delighted by the huge interest in this scheme.

“The whole development has been incredibly well received – not only by the people who’ve recently moved in, but also by those hoping to buy one of houses in the next phase and by other residents of Harbury who say what an attractive addition it is to the village.

“The concept behind the scheme is to ensure that Harbury residents or former residents have the opportunity to buy in their local community before outsiders, who usually snap up available property.”

Julie Linforth, a teaching assistant at Harbury Primary School, is among the new residents. She and her partner Richard Marshall-Hardy moved in after deciding they wanted to return to the village where Julie’s children had grown up and where she has worked for 17 years.

Richard explained: “Julie used to live in the village when her children were young and she started helping out, as mums often do, at her sons’ school.

“She became a teaching assistant and is now senior teaching assistant. We have friends here and thought we’d love to move back. When we sold our homes there was one house left for sale and we leapt at it.

“It also means Julie can cycle to school. I’m a designer and work from home and it’s a fantastic environment in which to be creative.”

As well as the nine market homes the 22 home scheme has 13 affordable homes, let only to local people through the Warwickshire Rural Housing Association.

Outline planning permission has already been granted for a further 27 homes at Harbury Fields.