Landowner spends 30 years releasing farmland to create homes

Farmland has been supplied to Warwickshire Rural Housing Association over the past 30 years (Stock photo)

A Warwickshire landowning couple have released farmland for affordable homes over the last thirty years to ensure local families can live in their rural community.

Paul Bellew and his wife, Margaret, have provided land to enable local people to remain in the Warwickshire village of Stretton on Fosse.

The former butcher said he was inspired to make a contribution to the provision of affordable housing after inheriting part of his wife’s family farm and completing a number of barn conversions.

Mr Bellew explained: “We turned them into holiday lets and I was well aware, at the time, that there were local people who couldn’t afford homes in the village.

“I’d been brought up in a big family and we weren’t well off, and it was instilled in us that giving was just as important as receiving. So, we decided to do something to balance things out, so to speak.”

Thirty years ago, he provided enough land to enable Warwickshire Rural Housing Association to develop its first scheme of 10 affordable homes at Harolds Orchard back in 1989.

Twenty years later, he again provided land for the second phase of the development, which saw an additional four properties completed.

Finally, in 2019, the third and final phase of the development was completed, when five affordable homes were built on Mr Bellew's land.

All three phases of the development have been built specifically for people with a local connection to Stretton on Fosse, enabling local people to remain in the village where they have grown up, work or have close family ties.

Mr Bellew added: “When the first 10 homes were built in 1989, I was aware that there were a lot of younger people who simply couldn’t afford to get a mortgage and buy a property in the village.

“Although it has taken many years for all three phases of development to come to fruition, we feel happy that, in some small way, we have helped to create something for the families of Stretton on Fosse to keep the village alive.

“I would encourage all landowners to consider giving a little piece of land at the right price to enable similar developments to go ahead in other villages.

Landowners Paul and Margaret Bellew (centre and right) have released farmland over three decades

“There is no doubt that 30 years after we started, the need for affordable housing for local people in our rural communities is as strong as ever.”

In addition to the land for new homes, the couple also gifted land for 10 allotments and an unspoilt orchard space for the residents of Stretton on Fosse.

“If you have lived a country life, you know how important these things are to people. We wanted to do what we could for the village that we were fortunate enough to call home for so many years,” Mr Bellew said.

Warwickshire Rural Housing Association said forging close partnerships is 'vital' for their work to develop affordable homes.

Company secretary, Richard Mugglestone, said: “We are grateful to Paul for providing land in a village where people are being forced to move away due to high house prices.

“These new homes have transformed the lives of many people during the past 30 years and will continue to do so in the future.”

It comes as the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) urged the government last week to let landowners help solve the housing crisis, arguing the ‘outdated’ planning system is holding the country back.