Sussex Community Land Trust

[Darren Hill]

*What is a Community Land Trust?*

A Community Land Trust is a community organisation committed to 
benefiting a local community by acquiring land and holding it in 
perpetuity.

A CLT can use the land to provide affordable housing, community spaces, 
green spaces and workshop spaces. A CLT is a non-profit organisation and 
land would be held by the trust not owned by individuals.

The benefits of a CLT to a community include that they:

    *

      Address local housing need by providing affordable housing on a
      long term basis

    *

      Provide permanent community ownership and community led
      accommodation provision

    *

      Create community empowerment

    *

      Increase economic prospects for those on low incomes

*Our Vision*

Our vision as a CLT is to secure land in order to provide affordable, 
sustainable accommodation in Sussex.

Land will be used to provide communities with space for homes, giving 
people the opportunity to participate in the design and build process to 
provide low-cost, low-impact accommodation that truly caters for their 
needs.

This could include:

    *

      Energy efficient design

    *

      Vegetable patch for food production

    *

      Renewable energy systems e.g. solar water heating

    *

      On-site waste recycling e.g. a reed bed system for waste water
      treatment or compost toilets

    *

      On-site workshops and community transport

By creating a CLT and embarking on a self-build project we hope to 
improve the skills and work prospects of those involved.

*Why is this needed?*

There is a shortage of affordable housing provision in the South East 
and we believe everybody has the right to a decent home at an affordable 
price.

We have identified two potential projects which we are keen to progress.

Sustainable housing cluster:

A self-build project aiming to establish low-impact dwellings for a 
cooperative which will be integrated into the wider community and will 
involve food and energy production and environmental workshops.

New Traveller site provision:

Despite a reasonably large population there are no authorised stopping 
places in Sussex for this community. This community is particularly 
disadvantaged; many are officially homeless and live in poverty.

Many New Travellers travel during the busy working seasons but are 
predominantly based in one area where they are part of the local 
community. They attend schools and colleges, work and volunteer like any 
other segment of society.

Establishing a low-impact self-built traveller site would provide much 
needed sustainable, secure accommodation in a cost effective way.

*Community Tradition*

People have been working together and organising for mutual benefit 
since life began, it’s all about helping each other out. This, in 
essence, is a cooperative.

Cooperatives now form as legal entities and are controlled by members of 
the coop.

CLTs are a form of cooperative, and the CLT model began to be explored 
and put into practice in the 19th Century by John Ruskin.

Following this Ebenezer Howard established ‘The Garden City Association’ 
where self-contained pieces of land were used to live and work. The land 
was owned by a Trust and residents paid affordable rent.

CLTs are already popular in other parts of the world, and are becoming 
more so in the UK, with some good examples already established here.

*Support*

Our community land trust is receiving support from the Community Land 
Trust Fund, a national body of experts in this field. Further 
information can be found on their website:

www.cltfund.org.uk

In order for the CLT project to work we require support from others.

We are seeking:

    *

      Support from the wider community

    *

      Landowners who are sympathetic to our aims

    *

      Support from local councils on issues such as planning

    *

      Input and ideas from ecologically minded people

    *

      Ethically minded investors

*Contact Us*

information at sussexclt.org.uk





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