A few

more facts…

What is a Community Land Trust CLT?

A CLT is a way of owning land and other assets for the community. Trustees manage these assets on behalf of the community.
Members of the community can become shareholders and often do. CLTs can and do own all sorts of things. Some own pubs, playgrounds or fibre networks. More commonly they own land and housing which is occupied by members of the community on an affordable basis.

How many CLTs are there in the U.K?

To date there are about 300 CLTs in the England, they are very active in Scotland where they have managed to buy forests, tracts of land, and whole islands. The movement was re-vitalised by the Localism Act of 2011, but the movement was active in the creation of the garden cities like Letchworth. Originally CLTs started in the USA where they have created many thousand units of affordable housing.

Who is on the Board of Trustees and how are they appointed?

In May 2021, BNCLT Members voted in the first Election of Trustees since the CLT was incorporated at the end of October 2020. Between November 2020 and the May Election the CLT was managed by the ‘Subscribing Members’ (founding members), four of whom stood for election and are now Elected Trustees. The rules governing election of BNCLT Trustees are covered fully in the BNCLT rules in the member’s area. Profiles of the current Trustees can be found on the ‘Meet the Trustees Page’, see the main menu on the home page.

What other assets can a Community Land Trust own and manage?

Though CLTs are primarily involved in the ownership and management of affordable housing other assets can include: allotments, community pubs, community orchards and woodland, fibre broadband, community transport, and even bakeries.

What is a Rural Exception Site?

These are sites where planning for new housing would not normally be granted by the Local Authority however, if a local housing need is proven by a Housing Needs Survey and the housing is supported by the community a rural exception site may be created and planning permission granted.

What is a Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment, HELAA?

Land suitable for housing is in short supply in rural areas and the targets from central Government to build houses are therefore hard to meet. So every 5-7 years the Local Authority (East Devon District Council in our case) will commission a HELAA , or an invitation for landowners to submit land parcels for scrutiny, these are then ranked by the Local Authority against certain criteria for their suitability as housing development sites. The top ranking sites in an area are most likely to gain planning permission if a developer should apply.
The last HELAA was undertaken at the beginning of 2021, at this time we are awaiting the results.

Who will be eligible for the houses?

To be eligible, applicants must be registered on the Council’s housing register run by Devon Home Choice.  Once registered they will have a legitimate need for affordable housing. Priority will be given to eligible applicants from the Housing Register with a verifiable local connection.

Did you know... The journey towards providing affordable homes whilst also preserving the unique character of Broadhembury Parish is underway - your support is what will make that journey possible!

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