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Housing Needs Survey
In June a Housing Need Survey will be circulated to householders in Aldingbourne (which includes Westergate), Barnham and Eastergate. This differs from Arun’s Housing Waiting List because it will enable people who are not in the greatest housing need (eg living with parents) or not on the waiting list (eg because they foresee being in housing need) to specify what type of housing they anticipate needing. The survey is kindly funded by Arun District Council. Please do return it as this information will provide the evidence we need to ensure the affordable homes we have available match your needs. Please encourage your friends and family to do so too.
Social Media
The CLT has a new website: www.abecommunitylandtrust.org.uk. Our thanks to Maureen Chaffe of ProcessMatters for setting this up. You can follow us on Facebook @BarnhamCLT and Twitter @BarnhamClt.
Membership Scheme Launched
Membership costs as little as £1, but donations of more are welcome as the CLT will need funds as we work with partners to bring our first affordable housing scheme for local people to fruition. The membership form can be downloaded from our new website: www.abecommunitylandtrust.org.uk.
Appointment of Board members
The Board members were formally appointed and the Steering Group disbanded on 18th March. Current members are:
Louise Beaton Chair (Aldingbourne)
Emma Pinder Vice Chair (Aldingbourne)
Sue Livett Treasurer (Aldingbourne Trust)
Kevin Dean Board Secretary (Aldingbourne)
Mike Link (Aldingbourne)
Further volunteers are welcome (several having moved away for work or family reasons). We invite people to attend a few meetings to get to know us before making a commitment to join the Board.
Aldingbourne Parish Council is making a new appointment to the Board to replace Michael Warden, for whose support we are most grateful. A representative from Eastergate and/or Barnham is still sought. Contact the CLT via aldingbourneparishcouncil@gmail.com or infoabeclt@gmail.com or Chairman Louise Beaton (01243 543475) if you are interested or would like further information.
Our first AGM will be held in Autumn 2019. The Board is assisted by Graham Maunders, Community Led Housing Advisor at Action in rural Sussex, an independent charity supporting communities in East and West Sussex, and Hannah Wales, a marketing consultant with Fandango Digital Ltd and local resident.
FAQs
Is CLT housing subject to the Right to Buy?
A: No. The “asset lock” in the legal constitution of a CLT protects the assets for community benefit. Not being a local authority or conventional housing association a CLT is not affected by legislation applicable to public housing stock.
Can a small CLT really make an impact on local housing need?
A: While the CLT will start small we hope to achieve a snowball effect, as those elsewhere in the country have done.
When are you likely to have your first affordable homes for local people ready?
A: If all goes smoothly, the first homes could be available towards the end of 2020.
Where will they be?
A: We have begun to made contact with developers of housing sites coming forward via the Aldingbourne Neighbourhood Plan and Arun Local Plan with a view to having first refusal on the affordable homes they are obliged to provide if they receive planning consent.
Will rents be affordable and will there be Shared Ownership homes?
A: We are talking with potential developers, Arun District Council, Housing Associations and Funders with whom we hope to partner to finance, deliver and manage our first homes. In our discussions have made clear that we are interested in delivering homes for rent which are genuinely affordable and in offering Shared Ownership homes, ie part owner-occupied and part rented.