Somerset Co-operative Community Land Trust
Our Mission
To provide sustainable affordable housing, and workspace for community enterprises in Somerset*; promoting co-operative principles and equality of opportunity for the benefit of the community.
* Including BANES and North Somerset.
What we do
We provide affordable homes for rent for people in housing need, and workspace and opportunities for community/social enterprises.
Our aim is to provide affordable and sustainable homes for rent in the market towns and other urban areas in Somerset, BANES and North Somerset.
Alongside our homes we want to set up community-led workspaces and facilities that create employment and training opportunities, and support for community enterprises. To benefit both our tenants and the wider community.
We currently manage four affordable homes in Taunton and two commercial units. One of which is a community enterprise hub that has helped set up and develop dozens of co-ops and community enterprises, as well as provide jobs and training for our residents.
We have 33 new units – all affordable rent - in two development sites awaiting planning approval.
The eight new homes in the centre of Taunton will be car-free and have laundry and other communal facilities to help with affordability and creating a community.
In the small town of Wiveliscombe we are planning 25 new 1 and 2 bed homes with a community run activity and workspace for use by our residents and the town’s residents.
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What we are
Somerset Co-operative Community Land Trust is a:
- Registered Community Benefit Society regulated by the FCA. This means we are not for profit and any surpluses must be used to benefit the community we serve.
- Community Land Trust (CLT). As a CLT we have a legally binding asset-lock which ensures that all the properties we own will be used for the good of the community in perpetuity
- Co-op. We are democratic and community-led organisation responsible to our members, who oversee what we do, and we encourage our tenants to play an active role in directing and managing our work.
Who we are
We are governed by our members who vote on major and decisions and elect the board of directors. Our membership of 300 is made up of our tenants, people from the communities we serve and our supporters - the people who invest in or otherwise support our work.
Our members are a key source of strength they guide and support us and ensure that we are community-led, and developing affordable homes and community facilities that are needed.
It’s just £1 for life to become a member. Join us!
Each year members appoint the board (of directors) who oversee the day-to day running of the Community Land Trust on behalf of the members and the communities they serve.
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Our plans
As well as our new homes in the pipeline, we want to see more community-led affordable homes for people in housing need in many more communities across the area we serve. And we want to make sure they are environmentally sustainable. This will take time, but with our first affordable homes fully tenanted and over 30 more in the pipeline, we are starting to make inroads.
To help us achieve our aims we are:
- Developing good working relationships with relevant local authorities – partnership working is key to success.
- Seeking to become a Government-recognised Registered Provider (as all Housing Associations are). Quite some challenge for a small organisation with no staff of its own, but it will enable us to access Government grants towards the cost of building new homes, ensuring that they will be affordable.
- Boosting our membership – more members mean a stronger community-led organisation. And we want to be representative of all the communities and groups we seek to serve.
- Strengthening our board to meet the challenges of our plans and ambitions, and to help more communities and people in housing need.
Find out how you can help as a volunteer or director here!
Read our latest newsletter!
Keep up to date with the latest news here!
Building Opportunities
Registered with the FCA no. IP030745 as Somerset Co-housing Community Land Trust, a Community Benefit Society.
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