Rural communities in Britain face several challenges including lower earnings, higher house prices, an aging population, and declining services. While only 19% of people in England live in rural areas, British community land trusts (CLTs) are predominantly a rural phenomenon, with 90% located in rural places. Rural CLTs have emerged as a response to threats around housing affordability and sustainability of rural communities. They typically work either independently to develop housing or partner with housing associations to leverage expertise, manage risk, and access funding. Organizing rural communities to support CLTs can be difficult due to small populations, isolation, and entrenched views, requiring focused efforts like networking and training.

2. Overview
• The idea is that a rural context might need a different
approach to urban CLTs.
• Britain is an urban nation – only 19% of people in
England live in a rural area
• But British CLTs are a rural phenomenon: of 150 CLTs in
England and Wales, 135 are rural – 90% of the national
movement

3. The context: Introducing rural Britain

4. The context: Introducing rural Britain
• Commission for Rural Communities, 2008:
“For fifty years or more, policy has undervalued the
countryside and failed to meet the needs of rural
communities and of the nation... Rural communities have
slowly but relentlessly become less and less sustainable and
less and less self-sufficient.”

5. The context: Introducing rural Britain
• Lower earnings
• Higher house prices
• Older people
• Declining services

6. The context: Introducing rural Britain
• Lower earnings
• English median income: £22,000
• Rural median income: £19,300

7. The context: Introducing rural Britain
• Higher house prices
£253,600 £241,300

8. The context: Introducing rural Britain
• Lower earnings
• Higher house prices
In 2010, average lower quartile house price in
urban areas = 7.2 x average lower quartile income
Average lower quartile house price in rural areas =
8.1 x average lower quartile income
• Older people
• Declining services

9. The context: Introducing rural Britain
• Lower earnings
• Higher house prices
• House prices rising faster than in urban
areas:
• E.g., South East England, house prices
increase 76% in 10 years
2003: £180,763 2013: £317,325

10. The context: Introducing rural Britain
• Lower earnings
• Higher house prices
• Older people
• Migration to rural areas: 54,000 in 2009/10
• Generally older people: 21% are over 65 (19%
in urban areas).
50% are over 45 years old
• Migration out of rural areas: Generally
younger people. E.g., Number of 30-44 year
olds in rural North East communities has
dropped 13.6% in the last decade.
• Declining services

11. The context: Introducing rural Britain
• Lower earnings
• Higher house prices
• Older people
• Declining services
• Pubs, schools, shops, community facilities

12. So where does it go wrong for rural
communities?

13. Where does it go wrong for rural
communities?
Planning restrictions
Not scaleable
Developers not
interested
Market housing
more profitable
NIMBYism
Monopoly in land
supply

14. So what about rural CLTs?
CLTs started by local community in response to this threat
(or opportunity)

15. Lyvennet Community Trust, Cumbria

16. Wilton CLT, Wiltshire

17. High Bickington CPT, Devon

18. Film: High Bickington Community
Property Trust

19. What is the role of the community?
There are two main routes for delivering CLT homes in
rural England:
• “Go it alone” for the CLT (the traditional route)
• Partnership with a housing association (or
developer)
In both cases the CLT owns the land and homes
developed: this is the community’s primary and most
important role.

20. Go your own way…
• CLT owns the site and develops itself
• Once the homes are complete, the CLT is
responsible for management and allocations
• E.g., High Bickington CPT
• CLT bears all the risk of development, but retains
all the reward - including rents from the properties
• Requires a big time commitment from the CLT
volunteers!

21. A beautiful partnership…
• CLT owns the site and grants a long lease to a
housing association (or developer)
• Housing association develops the homes and
manages them
• Housing association bears the development risks,
but retains the rental income
• Break clause in the Agreement between the
parties allows the CLT to buy back their interest
after a period of time
• E.g., Worth Community Property Trust

22. A beautiful partnership…
• For a CLT:
• Limits the risk that they bear
• Access to expertise and financial capacity
• Builds reputation with local authorities
• Lessens the regulatory burden
• For the housing association
• Gets houses developed!
• Access to land and community support
• Access to public finance
• Enhances their reputation with communities,
and as an innovator

23. Who takes the initiative?
• Gatekeepers within the community: Parish Council,
Village forum
• Tradition of volunteering and “all mucking in”: existing
Trusts or new groups of people
• An individual with a vision, or an opportunity: e.g.,
landowner
• Sparks from local authority, housing association or rural
community council?

24. Organising rural communities

25. Organising rural communities
SMALL POPULATION
Migration brings skilled
volunteers
Isolation
Limited knowledge transfer
Strong
identification with
community
Poverty
Less detachment
Easier to reach people
Gatekeeper
organisations
Structure
Entrenchment
Anti-development
lobby

26. Addressing the challenges
• Limited knowledge transfer
• Entrenched views of local organisations
• Anti-development lobby / hidden
poverty

27. Fostering strong sector-led networks

28. Training and resources

29. Funding for CLTs

30. Regional Umbrella CLTs

31. Growing the movement

32. Interested in finding out more?
National CLT Network
• Advice, resources, training and advocacy
• See it and believe it – grants to visit CLTs
Visit www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk or contact Catherine Harrington
on catherine.harrington@housing.org.uk or 020 7067 1191
CLT Fund
• Feasibility Fund
• Technical Assistance Fund
www.cltfund.org.uk Contact Hannah Fleetwood on
hannah.fleetwood@housing.org.uk or 020 7067 1039

33. • National CLT Network website:
www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk
• CLT Discussion Forum – Over 500 members
http://communitylandtrusts.ning.com
• Follow the Network on Twitter: @community_land
and Facebook
• Join the Network
• Contact us: catherine.harrington@housing.org.uk
or 020 7067 1191
Keep updated!

34. Any questions?