AS the chief executive of Action Hampshire, the organisation referred to in a letter from C Somers-Cocks dated November 7, 2014, I must point out that Action Hampshire is an independent registered charity not a pressure group and that it has been supporting local communities in Hampshire for more than 60 years.

We are also a partner in the Hampshire Alliance for Rural Affordable Housing (HARAH), which includes Test Valley Borough Council and Hampshire County Council.

The purpose of HARAH is to increase the supply of affordable housing in Hampshire villages in order to improve the likelihood that local people are able to afford to live where they were brought up, work or have family connections.

Since 2005 HARAH has completed 31 small housing schemes across Hampshire’s villages. The average size of a scheme is nine homes. In all 273 homes have been provided for either affordable rent or shared ownership, helping more than 1,000 people to stay in or return to their communities.

Rural housing enablers, employed by Action Hampshire, are an integral part of HARAH. Our rural housing enablers work in partnership with local communities to help them shape any housing scheme to fit the needs of the village.

HARAH has been working with Goodworth Clatford Parish Council for more than four years to bring forward a small affordable housing scheme of six to eight homes for local people in the village.

HARAH has worked hard to ensure that local residents in Goodworth Clatford are consulted and informed. We have attended numerous parish council meetings and conducted a housing needs survey in 2013 which went out to every household in the parish. We have also attended public meetings organised by the parish council explaining the approach and processes involved should further affordable housing be introduced in the village.

C Somers-Cocks may not know but parish council meetings are open to their community, their minutes are available and the parish website supplies information on this important community project, which is designed to help local people on low incomes with their housing options.

Sue Dovey, chief executive, Action Hampshire