Nine families have recently moved into brand new homes at Whittington Close in St Briavels, near Coleford, in a £1.3 million scheme.

This latest development of affordable housing is the result of close partnership working between Forest of Dean District Council and The Guinness Partnership, alongside the Gloucestershire Rural Housing Partnership and St Briavels Parish Council.

The partners identified a suitable site for the new homes, with district council land being identified as the best site for the development.

The nine new homes range from one to three-bedroom rental properties built on an exception site, which means they are only available to people with a strong connection to the local area.

Funding for the scheme was provided by The Guinness Partnership, with a contribution of £315,000 from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

Cllr Richard Leppington, Forest of Dean cabinet member for development, asset management, infrastructure and housing, said: "I am really pleased to hear that families are already moving into the Whittington Close development. I have been seriously impressed by the quality of these new homes.

"It's a known fact that there is a shortage of affordable housing in rural communities. House prices have risen at twice the national average over the past few years, meaning that many people who grew up in the village have been forced to move away to buy or rent a place of their own.

"The knock-on effect is that the next generation of villagers finds it increasingly difficult to stay in the communities in which they were born and bred.

"These homes will enable residents to remain in the village where they live, work or have family ties and will help ensure that the local community can continue to flourish."

Ben Cane from The Guinness Partnership added: "The homes are energy-efficient and built to the HCA's design and quality standards, meaning tenants are not only moving into brand new homes in the heart of a rural village, they will also be saving money on their fuel bills."