CLT conference 29June

[james armstrong]

Grant Shapps is key speaker  at a conference on 29th June at which I'm attending.Its purpose is to plug community land trusts as a new model for  amongst other things co-operative housing. `My interest is in start up groups of team self builders to self provide houses at accessible prices. To  solve the provision of land for self builders I have put forward a paper to the Office of Fair Trading advocating supporting self build by taxing thelandbanks of slow and inefficent plc housebuilders- taxing them in land not in cash.It is against the competitin law to use a monopoly  against the  public interest which describes exactly the policy of Wimpey etc holding landbanks of 732,000 potential houses, and is punishable by individual fines of £millions.I have used detailed information on the Poundbury development  of the P o W as a test case for OFT to investigate.
The Priced Out people might be interested. My plan is to enable self build groups to start up using my experience of self build, network of present projects  and my  knowledge of community land trusts.Is this  something which we can utilise?Below is a copy of an article by the conference organisers.James Armstrong Dorchester 
" A new body has been launched to drive forward the development of community land trusts and deliver more affordable homes in the process.Managed by the National Housing Federation (NHF), the National Community Land Trust Network will provide advice to existing trusts and work to raise the profile of the model.The network, part-funded by DCLG, will be officially launched in London on 29 June at the National CLT Conference, an event jointly organised by New Start and Salford University research and development unit Community Finance Solutions (CFS).Housing minister Grant Shapps, keynote speaker at the conference, is expected to outline the government’s vision for CLTs.Bob Paterson, project director and visiting social enterprise fellow at CFS, which identified the need for such a body, said: ‘While every trust has to be designed for its own community, they have in common that each provides benefit to its local community, with any profits reinvested and decisions about assets and developments taken by the whole community.‘By supporting trusts to work together and to learn from the experience of others, the new network can be the catalyst for many more communities to look at adopting this model to find new homes for local people.’David Orr, chief executive of the NHF, said the network represented a ‘huge step forward’ and a chance to spread good practice.‘We have an important job ahead of us to help it build its network and make sure the different players can work together to support new and existing schemes. Our role will be to make sure the best practical advice – and training – is available to the network, every step of the way.‘And, as important as the nuts and bolts, we will also be about telling everyone we can about community land trusts so every community that is interested can see whether it is right for them.’The NHF will use the network to bring together existing CLTs, development trusts, housing associations, local authorities and others involved in expanding the sector.The new body will work with the Homes and Communities Agency to ensure community-based housing organisations are given a ‘clear route’ to funding and support from the HCA."by Austin Macauley   

 		 	   		  
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http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/197222280/direct/01/
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