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. The funding is called the, 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
Great Shelford Parochial Charities has been operating in the village since 1890 for the purpose of acquiring and managing land and property in order to provide affordable rented accommodation for residents within the parish of Great Shelford on low incomes or at risk. The charity currently owns 32 properties which it rents out to local people in housing need.
Although Great Shelford Parochial Charities is already set up as a legal entity inits own right, they are seeking a grant of £4,500 to help them to increase community engagement and help with associated costs such as establishing a website and facebook page. The funding can also be used for investigating development proposals, such as site evaluations etc.
The Great Shelford Parochial Charities would like to develop on land that they already own in the village.. They have received planning pre app advice about the site.
Great Shelford Parochial Charities have been working with CLT East to scope out their objectives, one of which is to develop the land they own to provide 20 affordable homes for local people.
As funding is limited, applications can be 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. Their proposal is considered to be deliverable; therefore it is recommended this grant application be approved.
A summary of the assessment is listed below:
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Assessment Criteria |
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Deliverability of the scheme, this includes whether land is identified.
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Great Shelford Parochial Charities own land in the village, which they have pre app planning advice on.
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Delivery Timescales |
Short Term (next 6 months)
· Begin community engagement work, establish a website and facebook page, raise awareness of both the charity and the project. · Engage with the parish council, the Neighbourhood Planning Group and South Cambridgeshire District Council regarding the ambitions of the charity. · To decide upon a preferred route to delivery and begin establishing relevant partnerships and engaging with relevant professionals to get the project underway.
Medium Term (up to 3 years) · To develop an affordable housing scheme of around 20 dwellings in conjunction with the local community and successfully apply for planning permission, secure appropriate funding, complete properties and rent out to local people.
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Housing Need, priority will be given in areas where there is a high level of identified housing need |
A Housing Needs Survey was completed by Cambridgeshire Acre in March 2017 which identified a local, unmet need for 97 new affordable homes in the village. |
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Do the proposals support a neighbourhood plan? |
No, although a joint Stapleford and Great Shelford Neighbourhood Plan are underway and the Neighbourhood Planning Group in aware of and supportive of the Great Shelford Parochial Charity’s ambitions |
Decision type: Non-key
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Wards affected: Shelford;
Notice of proposed decision first published: 13/06/2018
Decision due: 13 June 2018 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 Great Shelford- Cllr Peter Fane and Cllr Nick Sample.
Purpose of Report: Community Led Housing Grant Application Form from Great Shelford Parochial Charities - 12th September 2017 Scoping Report to Great Shelford Parochial Charities - 13th December 2017