Histon & Impington
Community Land Trust
Like so many local villages, Histon and Impington face some big future challenges, especially around access to the affordable homes and amenities that are vital to a lively, sustainable community.
The 2018 Big Community Survey, that helped formulate the Histon & Impington Neighbourhood Plan, told us that 38% of respondents rated affordability of housing as a worry for the future. The Plan, which is currently awaiting ratification in May next year, clearly voices the community’s wish to become or remain “a diverse, inclusive and tolerant community, embracing provision of housing for those with lower incomes, who cannot afford the housing prices that currently prevail.”
Our aim is clear – to give the people who live or work in the villages more say over how to develop locally and in ways that could benefit the whole community.
Community Land Trusts (CLTs) are being set up across the UK as not-for-profit organisations run by local volunteers to develop housing, workspaces or other assets that meet community needs. They can help more people live closer to their work, schools, shops, clubs, friends and families.
So, what is a Community Land Trust?
A community land trust is a local organisation set up and run by the people of the area:
- to develop and manage homes
- and any other communal enterprises the community would like such as creating workspaces, health facilities and libraries
- every project has to be carried out with the support of and for the benefit of the community.
Watch this short video to see another way of explaining
OK, how does it work?
The movement has grown rapidly since 2010 and there are now several hundred CLTs in England and Wales and they tend to originate in highly individual ways. However, there are 5 basic stages:
Set up a new steering group, recruit members of the community, agree what you want the CLT to achieve, incorporate and develop a business plan.
HICLT is currently at this stage.
Find a suitable site, including investigating any potential problems and how much you can pay for it, then get the money to buy it.
Work up a full planning application, with detailed plans for your homes and other facilities, and get planning permission.
There are lots of options from building them yourselves, using a local contractor or leaving it to a partner housing association.
Once you have people living in your homes, you may work as their landlord, or oversee a managing agent or landlord you’ve partnered with, as well as decide how to use any surplus for the benefit of your community.
HICLT is currently at stage 1 – developing the membership and group that will drive the CLT forward.
To preserve and enhance the Histon and Impington community by providing locally affordable housing and amenities
About Us
The process of forming HICLT began in November 2019
Join in
How you can make a difference
Members are vital in representing the needs of the community
People with particular skills and expertise are always needed
HICLT is always happy to speak to landowners about potential sites within the village
Get in touch
You can contact us via the form.
We will try to reply as soon as possible, but please remember that we are a small volunteer group.