Eden District Council’s Community Housing Fund has awarded £132,000 towards a community’s bid to acquire land for the construction of affordable housing.
Patterdale Parish Community Land Trust (PPCLT) will use the funds to acquire land in the parish after recently commissioning a housing needs survey, which identified a need for affordable housing in the area.
The trust’s community-led housing project was previously awarded three grants by Eden council’s Community Housing Fund, totalling £49,095, meaning that the trust has now been awarded £181,095 from the council in support of its project.
Previous grants covered the costs of carrying out the housing needs survey, which Eden council carried out on behalf of the trust, as well as the costs associated with group incorporation, legal costs, community housing enabler support and the work to acquire planning permission, including professional fees, project management support from Eden Housing Association, site surveys and reports.
Maddy Teasdale, Chair of PPCLT, said: “The residents of Glenridding and Patterdale have campaigned for affordable housing for local people for a decade, and have now reached an important step by securing financial support for land purchase from EDC’s Community Housing Fund.
“The PPCLT are very grateful to EDC for their financial and project planning support. There’s also a lot of support from locals for this project, so it is great that we will be able to move it forward and provide local, affordable housing for our community.”
Community Land Trusts are groups that are set up and run by local volunteers and funding is available from the Eden’s Community Housing Fund to support them to develop new affordable housing and provide other community services and facilities, such as shops, pubs and workspaces.
Kate Skillicorn, Eden council’s housing policy and project officer, is an accredited advisor for community led housing and she’s keen for other community groups to get in touch to discuss the types of support available.
“I’m delighted that Eden District Council has been able to help the Patterdale Parish Community Land Trust make their plan to deliver affordable housing in their community a reality,” she said.
“We’d like to hear from anyone interested in setting up a community-led housing project on behalf of their local community. Whilst funding is obviously an important aspect of what we can offer, we also provide practical professional support and guidance for, amongst other things, project management, research to establish local housing needs, legal incorporation for your group and planning requirements.”
Community-led housing gives communities the opportunity to provide the housing that they believe local people need. It also allows communities to influence, or control key aspects of the housing that’s built to ensure it meets local needs.
To find out more about community-led housing and the Community Housing Fund visit www.eden.gov.uk/housing/community-housing-fund/
