Community Land Trusts

In a speech to the Community Land Trusts Conference, Grant Shapps gave more details on how they might work. Key points were;
*Community based housing bodies like CLTs are going to have to work within the same financial constraints as everyone else.
*I want to use your experience to create a model for Local Housing Trusts. We want local people to decide what happens in their community.
*I believe that a community should be able to proceed with developing new homes - where there is strong local support - without specific planning applications.
*LHTs will have to show that they have the overwhelming backing from people living in the area and they will need to meet some basic planning criteria to make their proposals sound.
*I want communities to have the freedom to decide on the type and quantity of housing without restrictions imposed by a centralised planning system.
*Once a new development has been built, Trusts will be expected to invest any financial profits back into the community. The land will remain in the Trust for local benefit forever
*I intend to take the necessary legislation through the forthcoming Localism Bill. I want the first LHTs to be under way as soon as possible.
Read the full transcript of the speech on the CLG website.