THE DREAM of affordable housing in a rural setting became a reality for a group of celebrating householders as they picked up their keys yesterday.

The 15 houses have been built at the Oakwood Field project, Little Ballinluig, by the Rural Home Ownership Grant programme.

Managed by Communities Scotland, the housing and regeneration agency, the grant helps people on low incomes with the cost of buying or building a home in rural areas, where prices are often high. Provision of affordable housing in the countryside is vexing, with demand currently far outstripping supply.

Sandy Watson, Communities Scotland area director for Tayside and Forth Valley, said, “I am delighted to see work completed on the homes at this site. The Rural Home Ownership Grant programme offers individual solutions to individual needs.

“In this case it has allowed people who want to live and work in this part of Perthshire to become homeowners and continue to contribute to the local area. Property prices in the area can be extremely high and beyond the means of many first-time buyers. This project is an innovative way of addressing the problem to benefit local people.”

Justin Rawson, of Kepranich Developments, the local developer that managed the site, added, “We are very pleased to have been involved in this development, which had enormous interest from potential buyers. This indicates an unmet need in the area for developments of this type.

“However, there were a number of potential buyers who were unable to raise enough funds to allow them to progress through the Rural Home Ownership grant programme.

“As a consequence, we have submitted a planning application to Perth and Kinross Council for a further 11 houses to be built in the remaining half of the field.

“If our application is successful, it is hoped that these homes will be sold on to potential residents through the Homestake shared equity programme.

“This will allow buyers to purchase a majority share in a property while the remainder will be paid for by a housing association.”