AFFORDABLE HOUSING “VILLAGE HOMES FOR VILLAGE PEOPLE
Good news for those whose roots are
in Grundisburgh and want to stay and set up their own
home in what they feel is "their" village and are being forced
out by escalating house prices and the few houses
available at affordable
rents. Building has just
finished on the final phase of the Ablitts Meadow
affordable housing scheme - a
Rural Housing Trust development with the
support of Grundisburgh & Culpho Parish Council and
Suffolk Coastal District Council consisting of 2 one
bedroom flats, 6 three bedroom and 4 two bedroom houses.
The flats and five houses are for rent and five houses
have been sold on shared ownership. The
scheme now consists 20 houses, 2 bungalows and 2
flats which will be available in perpetuity for those
with strong local connections; providing accommodation for a
wide spectrum of housing needs .
To qualify applicants for housing on this development must have a
strong local connection which means one or more of the
following:-
- current residence in Grundisburgh
- previous residence in Grundisburgh
- close relatives currently living in Grundisburgh
- current permanent employment in Grundisburgh
- about to take up permanent employment in Grundisburgh
Selection is then based on housing need.
The land, which was Glebe Land owned
by St.Edmundsbury & Ipswich Diocese Board of Finance, is
known as an “exception site” because it would not be
normally released for housing. However, an exception to
the planning rules was made because local needs were
demonstrated and the houses will be available at affordable
prices to local people in perpetuity.
The site was known as ABLITTS MEADOW in pre-war days. At that time
it was rough grass and a favourite place for gypsies to camp. At
the bottom of the meadow was a pond and the gypsies would cut
willow there and nearby for peg making.
The Ablitt family were farmers and very early farm contractors.
Robert Ablitt lived with his wife Kate in Balcony House, now known
as “Hillingdon”, in The Street, Grundisburgh. They also lived for
some time in Hill House on the Woodbridge Road.
Two of their sons died in the 1st World War and are commemorated on
the village war memorial. George Ablitt died on the 12th October,
1916 aged 32 and his younger brother Frederick aged 20 died
seven months later on the 7th May,
1917. So the development commemorates an
old village family, a long forgotten field name and two brothers
who lost their lives in the service of their country.
HRH The Princess Royal, President of the Rural
Housing Trust, visited the
development on the 7th December, 2004
. She is seen in the above photograph
speaking to Ablitts Meadow residents.
For more
information contact: Rural Housing Trust, Martels
Estate, High Easter Road, Barnston, Dunmow, Essex CM6
1NA Telephone: 01371-874738
GRUNDISBURGH OLD SCHOOL
2004 saw the 10th Anniversary of the opening
of the Old School housing development in Grundisburgh.It was
opened by our MP at the time, John Gummer, on the 24th July,
1994. The Parish Council was very concerned that the old
Victorian building, built in 1874, should be preserved when
the school moved to new premises in late 1989. One of the
first steps was to get the building Grade 11 listed which
ensured that no drastic alterations to the buildings could be
made and the school now looks very much as it did when it was
occupied by generations of village children. A feasibility
study was conducted. Several options were investigated
including sheltered housing, a community centre, first time
buyers, single person units and small business units. This
study was the beginning of a very long process with many
obstacles and difficulties to over come. Several Housing
Associations were approached but declined to take on a project
which involved converting a listed building.
Finally, English Churches Housing took on the challenge in
partnership with the Housing Corporation, Suffolk Coastal District
Council, and the Parish Council. A scheme was drawn up to convert
the school and the Headmaster’s house into eight homes for the
elderly and to build eight new houses on land behind the school.
All the homes to be for people in housing need and who have a local
connection with the village. The total cost was £1,117,724.
The homes are still managed by English Churches Housing and are
still for people with local connections. The demand for these homes
is enormous but if any villager wishes to be considered when
a vacancy occurs they should contact: English Churches
Housing Group, PO Box 117, Ipswich, IP2 8RT Telephone:
0845 0707071
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