Christopher Hoolihan and his partner Belinda Coates thought they’d have to leave the village of Parwich in the Peak District, as they couldn’t afford a home big enough for them. “The cost of housing hits you hard if you live in this area,” Christopher says.

The rise in second and commuter homes has put buying or renting out of reach for many people in the area. So local people took matters into their own hands. They set up the Village Action Group and, encouraged by the Peak District National Authority, negotiated with the local council before selecting Nottingham Community Housing Association as their partner.

The result is Parsons Croft, three family-sized houses for rent, on the site of the village’s old school house. The homes are faced with stone from local quarries, in keeping with the rest of the village.

Christopher and Belinda now live in one of them – a very different picture to two years ago, when a small one-bedroom rented flat was all they could afford. “We have lovely views looking out onto the hills – but the best bit about it is the extra room.” Christopher says. “We were quite cramped before. Now our rent is almost the same as for our flat, although we’re getting much more for it.”

He couldn’t be more pleased with his new home, he says. “This scheme is fantastic. Without it, we’d have to move out of the area to find anywhere affordable.”