Community Land Trust pilot ditched by English Partnerships?

[Mark]

Cashes Green, Stroud: Plans for an innovative national Community Land
Trust pilot project to provide permanently affordable homes are put at
risk.

Gloucestershire Land for People is seeking urgent talks with Housing
Minister Yvette Cooper MP after being informed that English Partnerships, the Government's regeneration agency, has reversed their decision that the former Cashes Green Hospital site be transferred to Gloucestershire Land for People for urgently needed permanently affordable homes, allotments, social rental homes and community facilities.



Press Release from Gloucestershire Land for People:
Friday 2nd  November
Cashes Green, Stroud:

Plans for an innovative national Community Land Trust pilot project to
provide permanently affordable homes are put at risk

Gloucestershire Land for People is seeking urgent talks  with Housing
Minister Yvette Cooper MP after being informed that English Partnerships, the Government's regeneration agency, has reversed their decision that the former Cashes Green Hospital site be transferred to Gloucestershire Land for People for urgently needed permanently affordable homes, allotments, social rental homes and community facilities.

GLP's innovative proposal for the 11-acre former hospital site was
developed thorough open consultation and engagement with  Cainscross  Parish Council and  the local community. This resulted in a proposal, which included carbon neutral houses, family  friendly social  design, permanent affordability through Mutual Home Ownership and retaining the land value in the community land trust, GLP.

When English Partnerships' Hospitals Disposal Board recommended GLP's proposal in June 2007, David Warburton of English Partnerships said: "We welcome this approach for a Community Land Trust pilot project. It provides for significantly lower entry prices for home ownership in perpetuity by utilizing what is known as a Mutual Home Ownership model and it will help us achieve high quality, well designed, sustainable and affordable places for people to live."

In a surprise change of course, which has shocked Gloucestershire Land for People, Cainscross Parish Council and Stroud residents, English Partnerships have signaled that the plans may not now proceed.  In a 17th October letter to CDS Cooperatives, GLPs' partner housing association, English Partnerships, state that they now propose to develop alternative proposals for the Cashes Green site, due to financial constraints. (see notes)  The new plans propose a partnership development between EP, GLP and Stroud District Council with 1/3rd to ½ the site being used for a CLT pilot project and the rest developed 'in a more conventional manner' to include homes for outright sale and conventional affordable housing.

Gloucestershire Land for People has written urgently to Housing Ministers, Hazel Blears MP and Yvette Cooper MP, seeking a meeting to clarify the situation and show how the innovative Cashes Green Scheme can deliver the benefits the government says it wants. Cainscross Parish Council is also writing to the Ministers  to press for the GLP proposal to go ahead.

GLP, which welcomes Stroud District Council's partnership, has sent a briefing to Councilors, so they are fully in the picture.


GLP will highlight to Ministers that Community Land Trusts and Mutual Home Ownership are government policy for delivering affordable homes, community cohesion, carbon neutral houses and community engagement. Hazel Blears MP, DCLG Minister, both supports a CLT start up in her Salford Constituency and includes CLT as part of her flagship community engagement policy. Yvette Cooper MP said in Parliament on 11th September 2006 that "community engagement is essential to the delivery of sustainable development and creating sustainable and safe communities."

Martin Alder, Chair of GLP says that, "this is a golden opportunity
for the Government to match policies and words with actual deeds on  the ground. We invite Yvette Cooper MP and Hazel Blears MP to help GLP make the most of the Cashes Green site for delivering unique, permanently affordable homes and community engagement. This is Government policy - so why should it have to be so difficult for communities?"

Cllr Helen Royall said, "This is  what local people want. The plans
have been put together sympathetically  and sensitively, and we want them to go ahead. The sooner we see some affordable housing  the  better. This scheme will be at the heart of the Cashes Green community."

Martin Large, GLP Vice Chair says that, "If Yvette Cooper MP decides to support GLP's original plans for Cashes Green, she will send a strong message that people and communities matter, that the Government really wants to unblock community energy across Britain for building permanently affordable, inclusive, mixed tenure, family friendly neighborhoods that counter social inequality."

Editor's notes:

1. EP reasons for change of approach:

GLP understands that there are two reasons for this proposed change of
approach by EP.Firstly, having established the development value of the site through the feasibility study, EP now know that they would have to pay a substantial additional sum (overage) to NHS Estates, from whom they bought the site. GLP is concerned as EP did not inform them until 17th October about 'overage' and as GLP's community
engagement process has raised the number of homes from 40 in the Local
Plan, to 77 in  the June 2007 scheme thus increasing such overage from
increased site value, and undermining affordability and viability

Secondly, EP suggest that Stroud District Council have concerns about the capacity  of GLP to  deliver the pilot, although this has not been
confirmed by the Council.

2.  Gloucestershire Land for People Contacts:

 Chair Martin Alder: 0117 010 5980; M; 07967191544

Vice Chair: Martin Large 07765 006829  01453 757896
martinhclarge at gmail.com

Stephen Wright MBE, Board member: 01392 383342/07866 535078

Alison Parfitt, Co-ordinator 01242 584982


CDS Cooperatives via Andy Sawford on 07977 265325. (Photos of Cashes
Green available)

3. Cainscross Parish Council

Councillor Helen Royall, 01453755509

4. Stroud District/ Cainscross Cashes Green Ward Councilor

Karon Cross, 01453 755295  (And Parish Councilor)

5. Information about Community Land Trusts and Mutual Home
ownership

A "simple guide to mutual home ownership" is available
at:
http://www.cds.coop/document_treeViewADocument.asp?section=public&ID=156&CatID=84

For details of Gloucestershire Land for P eople, and the Cashes Green
outline scheme, see: www.gloucestershirelandforpeople.coop

www.communitylandtrust.org.uk