Community Land Trust Network

The policy updates that we saw in the National Planning Policy Framework back in December were a huge step forward for community led development. But if we really want to see more CLTs rising to meet the housing crisis we need some key reforms - and we need your help to get these! The government is currently consulting on the NPPF so we've drafted up a submission, focussing on changes that would support community led housing groups to do more. This includes reforming RP status requirements, Community Led Exception Site guidelines, and site allocations processes. See our draft proposals here https://lnkd.in/eiZA_MNc) You can help us by: - Sharing your thoughts and feedback about our draft responses - Crafting your own submission - please feel free to lift from our response! Consultation responses close 24 September at 11:45 pm so reach out soon to let us know what change you want to see!

A statement from the CLT Network in response to the current violence. “We are appalled by the violent terror being visited on communities across the country by a tiny minority. They don't represent this country, and we express our deepest sympathy and solidarity with those harmed by racist violence and intimidation. “As we see in the community land trust movement, and as we have seen in the cleanup after rioting, most communities want to come together to take their local area forward, not sow division to take back some imagined version of the past. Our vision of community is inclusive of everybody who lives or works in a local area, and when the full diversity of our communities come together wonderful things can happen." *** We encourage anyone whose mental health is impacted by this violence and intimidation to seek support from Mind, Samaritans, or any local or culturally specific community mental health support services.

After years of campaigning we're excited to see that the Devolution Bill is slated to include a Community Right to Buy! This could be big news for the community ownership projects regenerating high street properties up and down England. BUT there is a risk that its terms could exclude some fantastic and prolific CLTs like Hastings Commons, Calder Valley Community Land Trust, and Nudge Community Builders, because their projects include affordable housing allocations and/or are developing new community places and spaces as opposed to repurposing or protecting existing ones. In this new article (https://lnkd.in/eje3pTnB ) our CEO Tom Chance explains these risks and shares what we want to see from the Community Right to Buy - including an accompanying Community Wealth Fund to build capacity in left behind communities. This is inspired by what our friends at Community Land Scotland have seen in Scotland, where communities can buy any land with any existing use so it can be used to further the sustainable development of the community. We'll be closely following the Community Right to Buy and advocating so that CLTs don't miss out on this potentially highly impactful new policy. As always, this will include working to extend CLT supportive policies to Welsh CLTs.

Today I was speaking to The London Assembly's housing committee on behalf of the Community Land Trust Network. The committee is looking at how CLTs, housing co-ops and other forms of #communityledhousing work in London and how they might be scaled up. There was a lot of focus on who is involved, and how homes are allocated, which was a good opportunity to bust some myths and discuss the potential of these approaches to develop empowering and inclusive models of housing provision for all Londoners. We talked about the achievements and challenges of pioneers, the alternative approaches in cities like Liverpool, Vienna and Barcelona, and the additionality that CLH can bring. But the underlying point the committee needs to grapple with is: do they think the mayor and boroughs should respond to the considerable demand for more agency over what homes are built, where, and how they're managed? If so, how can we design the principles of community led housing into the mainstream, instead of leaving it to struggle in the margins with the worst small sites and stop/start funding? Instead of looking at a single project and asking how we could scale it up, look for ways to design community ownership and agency into the grain of the system. Or upend the system around those principles. I'll be following up with some specific recommendations in writing. It was great to hear such interest from committee members Semakaleng Moema, Zoe Garbett, Lord (Shaun) Bailey of Paddington, Andrew Boff , Leonie Cooper AM and James Small-Edwards. Also fun to be back at my old workplace, and to visit the new City Hall for the first time.

Hot on the heels of Shelter's report on social housing, the Devon Housing Commission (chaired by Lord Best and led by Matthew Dodd) publishes a comprehensive account of what is needed to address the acute shortage of affordable housing across the county. Like Shelter they include a few pages on the role of Community Land Trusts, and support the Community Land Trust Network's calls for: * the renewal of the Community Housing Fund (watch out for our forthcoming delivery review of this) * councils disposing of some land/assets to CLTs for social housing * encouraging the provision of CLTs in allocated sites * much more use of Rural Exception Sites generally

🏚 🏫 Ever looked around your neighbourhood and wondered about those empty shops, pubs, and community spaces? 🌟 They could be brought to life through the 'Community Right to Buy' announced in this week's King's Speech! As part of the English Devolution Bill, this legislation is set to enable more local communities to take ownership of valued community assets... ...and it could change your neighbourhood more than you think! All over the country (see https://lnkd.in/eqeNYMuH), different community-led groups are giving spaces a new lease of life to help local people live affordably, sustainably and together. Whether that's arts and music venues, pubs, reuse and repair hubs, community kitchens, youth and sports clubs, local markets, co-working spaces, or genuinely affordable housing... 📢 Shout-out to the fantastic organisations and individuals who have been tirelessly campaigning for a Right to Buy AND those on the ground demonstrating that community-led property works... We're Right Here, Locality, Community Land Trust Network, Power to Change, Annoushka Deighton, The Architectural Heritage Fund, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), Nick Plumb, Nudge Community Builders, Hannah Sloggett, Wendy Hart, Naomi Rubbra, Stir to Action, Plunkett UK, Will Brett, New Local , Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Cooperatives UK, Makespace Oxford, Historic Coventry Trust, Hastings Commons, New Economics Foundation and many, many more 🙌 There’s still a lot of work ahead: ensuring the details of the bill are right and that communities are truly able to steward these spaces for the long term. Watch this space 👀 Read the King's Speech: https://lnkd.in/ePJf_J7S #MycelialNetwork #CommunityPower #CommunityRightToBuy

A few things in today's #KingsSpeech relevant to followers of the Community Land Trust Network and all things community led development... * The Devolution Bill promises to introduce 'a strong new right to buy for valued community assets' to replace the rather toothless 2011 Localism Act's right to bid. Hopefully this picks up Mark Gregory's work. * The Planning and Infrastructure Bill promises to further reform Compulsory Purchase Order powers, which may help bring forward more land at prices that make socially valuable development financially viable, and it proposes improving capacity and decision making on planning applications to give developers (inc CLTs) a more predictable service, which would be welcome. * The Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill proposes to further restrict the use of leasehold and ground rents, so we will be advocating for the protections for CLTs to use these ethically (which the housing minister has acknowledged); to implement the 2024 Act (which includes major new protections for CLTs); and to reform commonhold so it can be more widely used (which could also include looking at how it might be compatible with CLTs, perhaps one for some shared learning from Australia Louise Crabtree-Hayes?) We have some other legislative priorities that we may pursue through amendments, including Stephen Hill's work to reform how 'best consideration' is understood, so public bodies disposing of land/assets achieve the optimal use including meeting policy objectives like more social housing. Plus a range of reforms to planning and to finance for community ownership and affordable housing.

Living in a safe, well-insulated, decent home is essential to health and wellbeing. But our current system is not meeting the significant demand for quality affordable homes. That's why we need to diversify how homes are being built to meet social rent targets. Shelter's new Brick by Brick report highlights the potential 7,600 social rent homes CLTs could contribute to social housing delivery every year for the next 5 years - but only if our new government can provide funding and amend site allocations, planning and regulation policies to support CLTs. Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/epCtj9CX Thank you to Venus Galarza, Hannah Rich, Charles Trew, Charlie Berry, Sam Bloomer, and William Matthews for including CLTs in this report. Learn more about our 10 key manifesto policies here: https://lnkd.in/dZx4PhUa Learn more about how we model how many social rent homes CLTs could provide here: https://lnkd.in/e72C63V7

Community Land Trusts are a core part of the Guilds vision for thriving local economies with permanently affordable rent for small businesses and non profits providing social, cultural and environmental value. They can prevent displacement and gentrification of areas. Providing permanent space for diverse businesses that locals depend on for the prosperity and health of communities as proven by Rondo Community Land Trust, Homebaked Community Land Trust, Wirral Arts and Culture Community Land Trust and others. Hugely grateful to Community Land Trust Network for doing this crucial work and proud that our own London Trades Guild CLT is a member of the network!

The general election is THIS WEEK! We're recapping the 10 key manifesto points that we need to see for CLTs to deliver up to 15,000 additional affordable, community owned homes every year - as well as stewarding land for nature to support net zero goals AND revitalising valuable community places and spaces like pubs, shops and working space to generate local wealth and social connection. These 10 key points span increasing funding for CLTs, key policies to provide more homes through supportive partnerships with councils and developers, an endowment to develop skilled and experienced intermediaries and enablers, a Community Right to Buy, and establishing a land commission for England. Passionate about communities taking a driving the future of homes and places for their own villages, towns and cities? Write to your candidates telling them why they need to #BackCommunityLed to support better CLTs using our letter templates: https://lnkd.in/eXnPsdZa