In August 2009 Carnegie UK Trust, with support from Community Finance Solutions, was selected by the Department for Communities and Local Government for financial support from the Empowerment Fund 'Community Involvement in Planning' theme for their work promoting Community Land Trusts (CLTs.) This funding will run for three years until July 2012. Please view the website for more details on this funding stream.
This project builds on the achievements of the CLT National Demonstration Programme, which ran between 2006 and 2008. The overall aim is to establish a sustainable and independent National CLT Facilitation Network capable of providing a range of high quality legal, financial and procedural advice services to the growing number of CLT groups. The management and support role for this network has been awarded to the National Housing Federation. Click here to read the press announcement.
The network is being built on a blend of online support, events, training packages and technical manuals. A community of practice networking site has been set up specifically to assist in the support and sharing of information. The dedicated CLT website continues to be the main repository of information, reports and toolkits for CLTs to access insert weblink. These resources are aimed at CLT practitioners, policy-makers, local government staff, housing professionals and other interested parties.
Running alongside this is the aim to set up a model regional support body or 'umbrella' organisation. This work is being focussed in Somerset and Dorset. The contract for this has been awarded to a partnership between Wessex Community Assets and Resonance Ltd.
This process is being supported by a Supervisory Board whose members include senior representatives of the Development Trusts Association, Homes and Communities Agency, National Housing Federation, Tudor Trust, Tenant Services Authority, CDS Co-operatives and CLT practitioners amongst others.
A series of short films have been made to capture the aspirations and progress of the Community Land Trust Movement. These are built on testimonies from the people who have been involved from the beginning (the architects and the funders) and also testimonies from the people involved in making Community Land Trusts a reality on the ground.