Beautiful Derbyshire area named least affordable place in the East Midlands
A newly published Local Affordability Report has revealed the most and least affordable areas across the country – and a Derbyshire region scored worse than York and Cardiff.
Derbyshire Dales have been named the least affordable place across the East Midlands region, a new Nationwide Local Affordability Report has revealed.
Much of the Derbyshire Dales region falls within the Peak District National Park boundaries, with beautiful scenery attracting home buyers from across the country, drastically increasing local property prices.
The Nationwaide report ranks local areas based on how affordable properties are for the first time buyers with the first-time buyer HPER (House Price to Earning Ratio) index calculated using house price and earnings data from the Land Registry and ONSA (Office for National Statistics).
The ranking did not come as a surprise to many across the region with Derbyshire Dales Labour MP John Whitby saying the lack of affordable housing was a major challenge in the area, especially for young people.
He said: “This ranking will sadly come as no surprise to many of my constituents, especially those young people who are being priced out of the communities they grew up in.
"The lack of genuinely affordable housing is definitely a major challenge facing our area.
"My team and I are in regular contact with residents and councillors to support more social and affordable housing, especially in the places with the highest need such as many of the villages in the National Park.
“Housebuilding is crucial to tackling this problem, but new homes built must be affordable, and in locations that benefit residents, not just the profits of large developers.
"We need a step change in building more affordable and social housing, alongside stronger protections to ensure local people aren’t pushed out.
"I’m committed to working with our local authorities in Derbyshire Dales, residents, housing providers and the Government to deliver the homes our communities urgently need."
Derbyshire Dales District Council said that providing new affordable homes for local people in the area was one of the authority’s corporate priorities.
A council spokesperson said: “This report tells us nothing new, unfortunately.
"We have long accepted that the Derbyshire Dales is one of the most desirable places to live in the region, that's why one of our top corporate priorities is to enable new affordable homes for local people where they are needed.
“To maximise our success with this priority, in May last year we implemented a Housing Delivery Strategy.
"Main aims involved understanding a hierarchy of housing needs by settlements across the district, increasing opportunities to find suitable land in areas of need by working closely with developers, engaging new registered providers to work in the district, and close liaison with District Council planners and Peak Park planners to overcome barriers to affordable delivery."
Derbyshire Dales District Council confirmed that the areas of the Dales, which show the highest levels of housing need include Matlock, Ashbourne, Darley Dale and Wirksworth, as well as settlements inside the Peak Park such as Bakewell, Hathersage, Tideswell and Bradwell.
The authority has also highlighted that that there are several affordable housing schemes coming forward in the Dales, including:
- 35 affordable properties in Cavendish Drive, Ashbourne, to be delivered by Nottingham Community Housing Association (NCHA)
- 32 affordable properties to be delivered in Ashbourne by Futures Housing
- 42 affordable properties in Bakewell to be delivered on a scheme by NCHA
- Nine affordable properties in Youlgrave to be delivered on a scheme by Peak District Rural Housing Association
- 27 affordable properties in Darley Dale to be delivered on a scheme by East Midlands Housing
- 10 social rented units in Brailsford on a scheme, plus secen more in Ashbourne, two in Darley Dale, and three in Wirksworth, all to be delivered by the District Council.
Affordable homes for rent and shared ownership can be viewed online at www.home-options.org.
Peak District National Park Authority has been approached for a comment.