Issue details

Community Led Housing Grant Application

 

 

Background

 

In December 2016, the government announced a new annual fund of £60m to help councils tackle the problem of high levels of second homeownership in their communities, which, impacts on the housing supply. This funding is called The Community Housing Fund, its purpose is to put local groups in the driving seat and help them deliver affordable housing through community initiatives, such as Community Land Trusts. South Cambridgeshire District Council received £50,329 grant funding and the City Council also received a similar amount.

 

Both Councils have commissioned CLT East to provide specialist advice and support to help local communities bring forward affordable housing schemes. As part of the funding received, grants of £4,500 are being offered to help seed-fund set up costs for Local Communities.

 

Purpose

 

To approve the first application received from Cottenham Community Land Trust Steering Group for a grant of £4,500 to set up a Community Land Trust. The grant would allow them to start up as a legal entity, with a constitution and structure and help them develop an investment ready business plan. This, will then allow them to operate as a CLT to secure affordable housing developments in the village of Cottenham to meet the local housing need, as an alternative to exception sites. Cottenham is at advanced stages of developing and setting up a Community Led Housing Trust and will potentially be the first village within South Cambridgeshire to operate as a CLT.

 

Cottenham Community Land Trust Steering Group have been working with CLT East to scope out their objectives and are looking to deliver up to 30 affordable homes over a 15 year period.

 

As funding is limited, applications are considered and prioritised based on an assessment criteria. The application has been assessed by Council Officers and CLT East and meets the criteria set out below. This is the only application for grant funding received to date and as Cottenham Community Land Trust Steering Group are well advanced and their proposals considered to be deliverable, it is recommended this grant application be approved. A summary of the assessment is listed below:

 

Assessment Criteria

 

Deliverability of the scheme, this includes whether land is identified

Land possibilities, both brownfield and greenfield, have been identified and followed up by discussions with the owners but no land is yet secured. The Cottenham Community Land Steering Group plan to undertake a public “call for sites” in order to ensure an open, inclusive and transparent process.

Delivery timescales

Short term (next 6 months)

·         To become legally established.

·         Begin community engagement work, begin to build CLT membership and support for the CLT project.

·         Undertake a call for land and subsequently identify (and potentially secure) possible land.

·         Develop the key principles of a sustainable business plan to be the base of any project.

 

Medium term (up to 3 years)

·         Secure land and enter into relevant partnerships in order to deliver affordable housing required by the village.

·         Begin at least one scheme, whether in partnership with a Housing Association, developer or stand alone, to address local housing needs.

Housing need, priority will be given in areas where there is a high level of identified housing need.

A need for affordable housing, including types of housing, has been identified by the Neighbourhood Plan based on a Housing Needs Assessment conducted by ACRE in 2012, and the Neighbourhood Plan Survey carried out by Enventure. The survey identified an unmet need for 31 affordable homes for local people during the period from 2017 to 2031. There are currently 98 applicants on the Housing Register with a local connection to Cottenham.

Do the proposals support a Neighbourhood Plan

Yes. The Neighbourhood Plan supports development of at least 30 affordable homes over the 15 year plan period.

 

Decision type: Non-key

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Wards affected: Cottenham;

Notice of proposed decision first published: 17/11/2017

Decision due: 17 November 2017 by Leader of Council

Lead member: Leader of Council

Lead director: Head of Housing

Department: Housing

Contact: Uzma Ali, Housing Development Officer 01954 712995 Email: uzma.ali@scambs.gov.uk Tel: 01954 713279.

Consultees

District/Ward Councillors for Cottenham – Cllr Lynda Harford, Cllr Tim Wotherspoon and Cllr Simon Edwards.

Purpose of Report: Background Papers Housing Portfolio Holder - Community Housing Fund - 15th March 2017 Community Led Housing Grant Application Form from Cottenham Community Land Trust Steering Group - 12th September 2017 Scoping Report to Cottenham Community Land Trust Steering Group - 22nd August 2017

Decisions

Agenda items

Documents