A planner’s guide to help local authorities support more community led housing development has been launched.
The guide has been written in partnership with the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and has also been endorsed by the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA), National Community Land Trust Network (NCLTN) and Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE). Development of the guide has been funded by Nationwide Foundation.
It draws on examples and experience from both urban and rural Local Planning Authorities to show how Local Plan policy and development management practice can support CLH delivery, as well as how it can be promoted through Neighbourhood Plans.
The number of community led housing groups forming has risen sharply in the past five years. There are currently 87,000 people involved in community led housing groups producing a potential pipeline of 15,000 homes. A £163million Community Housing Fund was opened by Government in July 2018.
Community led housing (CLH) are homes that are built, controlled and owned by the community and includes community land trusts, cohousing and housing co-operatives.
Leah Swain, Chief Executive of Community First Yorkshire, who commissioned the Guide, said, “It was apparent from work in North Yorkshire and other areas that there was a gap between the ambition to provide community led housing and knowledge amongst planners. This Guide fills that gap. It is written to be relevant to planners working in both rural and urban areas, but will also be will also be helpful to other professionals, particularly those coming to community led housing from a housing or Neighbourhood Planning perspective.”
Victoria Hills, Chief Executive at the Royal Town Planning Institute, said: “The community led housing movement may be small at the moment, but major growth is underway and planners need to be ready for this. We hope this document will inspire more planners to explore how community led housing could benefit their areas. And show them how they can support it through proactive development management and plan making.”
Samantha Jones, Head of Community Led Homes Programme, said: “With budgets stretched, local governments are looking for innovative ways to solve local housing problems and help neighbourhoods thrive – community led housing is one of these ways. A third of councils of all political colours have used either policy, grants or land disposals to help community projects to succeed. With the help of this guide we hope to see even more councils working community led housing into their strategies.”
Copies of the Guide are available to download for free at https://communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk/plannersguide/
ENDS
Media contacts:
Community First Yorkshire
Jo Fox, Marketing Communications Officer, e: jo.fox@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk and Claire Hetherington, Marketing Communications Officer e: Claire.hetherington@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk t: 01904 704 177
Royal Town Planning Institute
Renee Fok, renee.fok@rtpi.org.uk, 0207 929 8330
National Community Land Trust Network
Beth Boorman, Communications Manager, e: beth@communitylandtrusts.org.uk t: 07731 570748; 020 3096 7792
The Nationwide Foundation
Natalie Tate, Communications, Policy and
Public Affairs Manager,
e: Natalie.tate@nationwidefoundation.org.uk
t: 07826 536858
Notes to the Editor
About Community First Yorkshire
Community First Yorkshire is an influential, regional body working across North, South and West Yorkshire to inspire and support positive local action.
We are the first port of call for voluntary & community organisations, social enterprises and parish councils looking for practical support.
We help with everything from governance and funding, to strategic planning and community engagement through our training and events, resources and networks.
We are also a rural community council, part of the national ACRE Network (Action with Communities in Rural England) helping communities improve the quality of life for all people living and working in rural Yorkshire.
Funded by Defra, Community First York provide an important rural advocacy and influencing role, enabling and empowering communities to develop the confidence to help themselves, ensuring their needs are heard by policy makers and service providers, on a local, regional and national scale.
T: 01904 704 177 e: info@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk
www.communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk
Twitter: @CommFirstYorks Facebook: Community First Yorkshire
About the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)
RTPI champions the power of planning in creating prosperous places and vibrant communities. We have over 25000 members in the private, public, academic and voluntary sectors. Using our expertise and research we bring evidence and thought leadership to shape planning policies and thinking, putting the profession at the heart of society’s big debates. We set the standards of planning education and professional behaviour that give our members, wherever they work in the world, a unique ability to meet complex economic, social and environmental challenges.
www.rtpi.org.uk/ @RTPIplanners
About the National Community Land Trust Network (NCLTN)
The National CLT Network is the official charity supporting Community Land Trusts in England and Wales.
The National CLT Network provides funding, resources, training and advice for CLTs and work with Government, local authorities, lenders and funders to establish the best conditions for CLTs to grow and flourish.
The National CLT Network was established in September 2010 and initially hosted by the National Housing Federation. It became a registered charity in June 2014. Download the Constitution at the bottom of the page.
www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk/
Twitter: @community-land Facebook: @NationalCLTNetwork
About Nationwide Foundation
The Nationwide Foundation is a charitable funder which aims to increase the availability of decent, affordable housing for people in need.
This funding to Community First Yorkshire has been given as part of its Backing Community-Led Housing programme. The Nationwide Foundation wants to support community-led housing to deliver an increase number of homes for people in need. It envisages a future where community-led housing is thriving and where many more people are living in homes created through this approach. It uses its funding and influence to strengthen, support and champion the growth of community-led housing, so that more people will benefit.
The Nationwide Foundation was established by Nationwide Building Society in 1997 as a fully independent corporate foundation.
The Nationwide Foundation is a registered charity (no 1065552) and has limited liability being a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (no 3451979). Registered office address: Nationwide House, Pipers Way, Swindon, SN38 1NW.
www.nationwidefoundation.org.uk @NationwideFdtn