Middlesbrough Council - News Forum - Setting a light to the News

Campaign: save community land for future generations
Leaseholders who own a share of their home on land owned and provided by a CLT have the right to buy the freehold of the land, known as leasehold enfranchisement. If this happens, the land ceases to be an asset owned by the CLT and the homes on it move into the open house market and cease to be permanently affordable for the community the CLT has been set up to serve.

We want the land to stay in the hands of the community so that it can continue to have a social purpose and help those in housing need.

Why does it matter?
Because of these leasehold enfranchisement rights, the CLT cannot protect the long-term ownership of the land.
Landowners, be they private or public, are unlikely to make land available for CLTs or Local Housing Trusts because they risk losing the land asset
It is a major barrier to securing finance for CLTs because funders and investors want long-term investments and long term returns from investing in CLTs.
We are proposing an amendment to the Localism Bill that, subject to regulation and where the Trust wishes to apply the exemption, exempts from leasehold enfranchisement rights homes built on land owned by a CLT or Local Housing Trust that complies with the definition in S79 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008. You and your local CLT can support the need for this amendment.

Take action: write to Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP
Personalise the ready-made template letter on headed paper and send to Grant Shapps MP, copying in your local MP - download the letter here or contact Cathering Harrington on catherine.harrington@housing.org.uk or 020 7067 1191 for any further questions.
Email the letter to Grant Shapps MP: grant.shapps@communities.gsi.gov.uk, copying in the CLT Network catherine.harrington@housing.org.uk and Sheridan Westlake, the Minister's special advisor - sheridan.westlake@communities.gsi.gov.uk
Tweet the following text once the letter has been sent: ‘Just written to @grantshapps on giving CLTs the right to be exempt from leasehold enfranchisement’. If you do not Tweet let the CLT Network know and we can Tweet on your behalf.
This is a joint campaign between the CLT Network and CDS Cooperatives. For more information contact Catherine Harrington on catherine.harrington@housing.org.uk or 020 7067 1191

The techy bit…
Leaseholders who own a share of their home on land owned and provided by a Community Land Trust (CLT) have the right, under the provisions of The Leasehold Reform Act 1967 (if their home is a house) to enfranchise the freehold of the land on which their house is built. Also, leaseholders of flats on CLT owned land have collective enfranchisement rights to buy the land freehold under the provisions of the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993. At present, only homes built in the small number of rural areas that have Protected Area status, where homes are deemed hard to replace, are exempt from these enfranchisement rights.

The Localism Bill does extend the exemption from leasehold enfranchisement rights to homes on land the development of which is authorised by a Community Right to Build Order (CRTB) – a welcome new way communities can, through a referendum, obtain planning consent for their development proposals in the face of opposition from a local planning authority. However, communities working with a willing land-owner and a willing planning authority ought not to have to go through the CRTB process simply to protect community owned land from being lost through leasehold enfranchisement.

It would be a simple matter for the government to amend the Localism Bill to extend, subject to regulations, exemption from leasehold enfranchisement rights to all community owned land where the CLT or Local Housing Trust meets the definition of a CLT in section 79 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008.

We want land acquired for housing by a CLT or Local Housing Trust to stay in the hands of the community so that it can continue to have a social purpose and help those in housing need. Indeed, in his speech to the Community Land Trust conference on 10 June 2010 the Housing Minister, the Rt. Hon Grant Shapps MP, said “...And the land will remain in the Trust for local benefit forever.. People have waited long enough for a model that is on their side rather than the side of the bureaucrat.... I intend to take the necessary legislation through the forthcoming Localism Bill”.

27 June 2011 Last updated at 13:13
Gresham residents want to lead their own regeneration
Gresham locals want to help regenerate the run-down area
Residents in Gresham have proposed a plan of their own to revitalise the run-down area of Middlesbrough.
They have set up a community land trust to bring in new homes and shops to Gresham and Middlehaven.
Trust member Ashley Marron said:

"We want a community-led regeneration, not a bureaucratic-led one which you see here, it's just not happening."

Middlesbrough Council's regeneration plans began in 2005 and include the demolition of 773 properties.
Middlesbrough's director of regeneration Kevin Parkes said: "It's actually very interesting, an opportunity to both look at bringing forward development in the area, but also involving the local community and hopefully involving local labour whilst meeting the needs of residents.
"We'll be very interested to see what's put forward, and see what we can work with, with regards to that."
Middlesbrough Council made the decision to knock down the current housing in the Gresham area in 2005 saying it "does not have the variety of housing required to support a sustainable community".
The plans included demolition of current housing and shops north and west of Princes Road, and then a plan to rebuild new properties that would create more of a community.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-13927172

BoroBot wrote:RESIDENT CONSULTATION.............

THIS WAS SO FUNNY IT'S WORTHY OF A REPEATED POST

BoroBot wrote:

Funding being pursued or recently obtained
The Council was awarded £2.2m from the Regional HCA’s Planning and Regeneration
budget to progress site assembly in Phase 1 of Gresham. The resources were fully
defrayed in accordance with the funding agreement.

Resident consultation
Extensive resident involvement has been in place since 2004. Residents were consulted
with during April/May 2010 on alternative options for the future of the area as part of a
review of the Gresham scheme. All options included demolition in Phases 1 and 2 but an
overall reduction in the clearance programme and were widely supported by the
community. Residents and owners of Phase 1 properties are aware of the Council’s plans
to complete acquisitions in the area and will be informed of the timescales once the
outcome of this bid is known.
Residents and owners of properties in Phase 2 will be informed of the Council’s plans to
take the project forward as a non-HMR project, using available Council resources, after a
meeting of the Executive in August/September 2011.
The Council and the Regional HCA are working with local community groups in the area to
consider the establishment of a Community Land Trust to improve the retained properties.