Notes to the Editor - Press Release – 23rd January 2018
1. Community Land Trusts (CLTs) are community-led housing, set up and run by communities to develop and manage homes and other community assets. CLTs are not for profit, and act as long-term stewards to ensure that housing and other community assets remain accessible and affordable to future generations. There are now over 225 in this country - over half of which have formed in the last two years – see: http://www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk/
2. The Lewes Community Land Trust was originally formed in response to redevelopment opportunities on North Street. As development there finally commences in the coming year, the Trust will be working towards implementing an agreement with the developer to provide a further 16 affordable homes in phase 2 of this long-awaited project. For more information on the work of Lewes CLT see: https://www.lewesclt.org/
3. The Lewes District Council Housing Register 2015 contained 1,753 households, of whom 313 were from Lewes town. Of the 313, 102 required a two-bedroom property and 40 a three-bedroom property. Of those households requiring shared ownership as opposed to affordable rented properties, 83 were in need of two- or three-bedroom houses.
In 2015, the mean average sale price of a dwelling in Lewes town centre was £389,657 – a price which is out of reach for most local households.
4. The Government are backing the development of community led housing through the Community Housing Fund. Speaking at the first national Community-Led Housing Conference in November, former Housing Minister Alok Sharma said “Community-led housing has a serious contribution to make. There are few sectors that boast the combination of talent and passion that we have here today.
People who are totally committed to making their communities better places to live. So, let’s do everything we can to get even more people involved in community-led housing. Together with you I want to make the idea of communities building the homes they need not a radical departure, but an everyday reality.” See: http://www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk/article/2017/11/29/government-relaunches-multi-million-community-housing-fund.
For more info please contact Graham Maunders on 07811 115494 or email graham.maunders@btinternet.com.