Why are some rural Shared Ownership Housing properties different?
Some shared ownership dwellings are built on rural exception sites. These are sites where planning permission has been given only for affordable housing, and where normal private housing development would not have been allowed. These houses are protected as affordable housing ‘in perpetuity’ by a clause which stops you from buying 100% of the property, so the Housing Association always -owns a small proportion. Usually you can buy up to 80%. These properties are also sold on condition that people with a connection to the parish get the first refusal. If someone from the parish is competing with you for a house and you come from outside the area, then the local person will get preference. This is a condition of the planning permission, which tries to ensure that new affordable rural housing goes to support the local rural communities. You will be told if a particular site is a rural exception site or if there are any other special conditions on particular properties and you can also che
