By Maria Kelly, Rural Housing Enabler
On Saturday 21st February I attended a meeting of the Oxfordshire Community Led Housing Group, hosted by Stonesfield Community Trust at the cosy White Horse Community Pub, Stonesfield. Stonesfield Community Trust, established in 1983, it was one of the first Community Land Trusts in the UK. It owns and manages affordable housing in the village for people with a local connection, and the White Horse pub. The meeting was attended by representatives from several local Community Land Trusts (CLTs) and other community led housing organisations, all at different stages of the journey and facing different challenges and opportunities.
During the day we explored how groups can work better together to deliver a growing potential pipeline of community -led homes, particularly in rural areas where finding suitable land and traditional Housing Associations to develop homes can be difficult. We took a walk around Stonesfield to look at some of the homes built and managed by the Trust, which blend seamlessly with the older architecture of the village. We looked at a new area in the heart of the village where a glove factory operated in the 1970s, which will soon be the site of three new affordable rented homes built by the Trust. The new houses will be adjacent to the picturesque Stonesfield Church and Oxfordshire’s oldest gaol – a listed ‘lock up’ owned by the Blenheim estate!
Thank you to Fiona Brown and Kay Sentance from Community First Oxfordshire for inviting me along, and to the CLTs attending for making me feel so welcome.
There are many ways that communities can own and lead on the development of community assets such as housing and facilities – just consider the amazing work of village hall trustees and parish councils. One of Berkshires few Community land Trusts is Windsor Ascot and Maidenhead CLT, (Home – Windsor Ascot Maidenhead Community Land Trust) which is being supported by CCB to take on affordable housing and other assets in the Royal Borough. Through freehold ownership, CLTs can ensure that housing and other assets are available to the community in perpetuity and cannot be sold off privately or otherwise lost.
If you are interested in finding out more about Community Land Trusts, contact maria.kelly@ccberks.org.uk
Connecting Communities in Berkshire 