Regional conference held to champion Community Land Trusts

Reference: 

093/13
Community Land Trusts are helping more and more local communities develop homes across the country and a conference to discuss their success is being held in East Cambridgeshire this week.
 
The ‘East of England Community Land Trust Conference – Inspiring Communities’ has attracted over 100 delegates to hear key note speeches from Government advisors, local authorities and villages who have developed their own trusts.
 
The conference aims to show how Community Land Trusts can bring the public and private sector to work together with communities to develop the housing and infrastructure which many areas desperately need. 
 
There will also be specific presentations and breakout sessions to explain how planning policy is changing to help Community Land Trusts to succeed and where they can go to get the specialist help and funding they need.
 
Cllr Charles Roberts, Deputy Leader at East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “Community Land Trusts are being seen by more and more people as the best way of providing new homes to residents while giving local people a far greater say in how developments can benefit the whole community. In East Cambridgeshire, the Stretham and Wilburton Community Land Trust is rightly being held up as  an excellent example of how this process can work”.
 
“The conference on Wednesday at the Maltings in Ely is bringing together the best knowledge, experience and ideas which are driving Community Land Trusts forward as a way to increase the housing supply. It is telling that the speakers and delegates come from a wide range of areas from central and local government, developers and communities themselves. Each attendee will hear for themselves how all organisations working together can develop Community Land Trusts to make a difference and give residents a real say in the future of the place in which they live. I can not think of a better example of true localism than the way trusts develop and operate and I am really excited to hear and learn how they are working in other areas.”
 
In East Cambridgeshire, the District Council has identified Community Land Trusts as one way of the best ways to meet the local needs for affordable and market housing and aims to help deliver two new Trusts by the end of 2013.
 
For more information on Community Land Trusts please call 01353 665555 or visit www.eastcambs.gov.uk.