GROUPS battling to stop the drain of young people leaving the countryside say 300 new homes have been built and 300 more are in the pipeline across North and East Yorkshire.

'This has enabled us to stay in the village that we love' said Abbey, one of the tenants at Askrigg in the Yorkshire Dales where an old mill building has been converted through a community scheme into flats and a two bed cottage.

Abbey and her partner said: "We had been living with our respective parents, trying to save up but with the local house prices and deposits required it was impossible. Paying an affordable rent will allows us to continue to save and eventually reach our goal of buying a house in the village and letting someone else get a start here."

Rural Housing Enablers is working with local councils and housing associations to create high quality. low carbon, affordable homes. Across North and East Yorkshire 300 were built last year and another300 are due to be built this year.

In Richmondshire alongside Askrigg, eight homes are being built in West Witton in partnership with Broadacres. Two will be for rent and six are affordable homes being sold through a system for local people to buy at a discount. A further nine are for general sale aimed at bringing new families in to support local schools, pubs and shops.

Over Rural Housing Week, a series of events is being held. Richmondshire District council leader, CllrAngie Dale said: "Delivering affordable housing in our rural areas is an essential part of the drive to keep young people living and working within the district and I'm delighted we have been able to assist at Askrigg and West Witton. Seeing young people able to remain living locally is the outcome that we are all working to achieve."

Hudswell Community Charity used their assets to provide two houses and a bungalow for local people at affordable rents, between £498 and £540 pcm. Martin Booth Secretary said: "We had seen a previous attempt to provide so-called affordable houses fail, they were sold on at market price a few years later, one is now let as a holiday home. We were determined to provide homes for rent at a truly affordable price available to local people for generations to come."