As part of Rural Housing Week (7-11 July), we are proud to highlight Accent’s latest rural exception site scheme in Little Downham, East Cambridgeshire - a village located three miles north of Ely, with a population of 2,600 people.
This development, which is part-funded through Accent’s Strategic Partnership with Homes England, will deliver 39 much-needed new homes — 30 for affordable rent and 9 for shared ownership, with a mix of 1 to 4-bedroom houses and bungalows.
Most of the site lies outside of the development boundary for the village and so is being delivered as a Rural Exception Site. This means that the homes are being built specifically to meet the needs of Little Downham - those living, working, or with close family in the village. To support the need for new affordable housing, Accent commissioned Cambridgeshire ACRE to carry out a detailed rural housing needs survey, which helped shape the scheme.
Construction began in November 2024, led by Lindum Construction, and completion is expected by Autumn 2026. Accent has been working closely with the Parish Council and held a community event to share the plans, with more local engagement events planned as the homes near completion.
The scheme also brings social value, for example the Lindum site manager recently completed the Three Peaks Challenge with a cycling twist to raise funds for local causes. Accent has even built a bespoke bat house on site, already home to some flying residents.
Cambridgeshire ACRE’s Chief Executive, Hayley Neal, said: “Cambridgeshire ACRE is pleased to have played a part in bringing these 39 new affordable homes to Little Downham. Affordable homes are about more than houses for those in need: affordable homes prioritised for people with a connection to the parish can help to sustain the community. Retaining young families in the village can be the difference between local services surviving or closing. Our role in undertaking a housing needs survey and facilitating face-to-face consultation with the community has allowed Accent to design a scheme that will provide the homes that local people need and in a way that fits with the wider rural landscape of the village.”
Azhar Ahmed, Assistant Development Director, Accent Housing, said: “This scheme is a great example of how Rural Exception Sites can directly address local housing need. By working closely with the Parish Council and using robust data from the housing needs survey, we’ve been able to design a development that delivers real value to the community. It’s exactly the kind of place-based approach our partnership with Homes England is designed to support.”
For anyone interested in living in one of the new homes and has a connection to the area, they can register their interest for shared ownership with Homemade Homes by Accent and East Cambridgeshire District Council for rental information.
