What is a Community Land Trust?

• Community Land Trusts are independent non-profit, democratic organisations owned and run by volunteers.
• They own, develop and steward land and other assets like affordable homes, for the long-term wellbeing of their local community.
• Locking assets for the community. This is a crucial defining feature. A CLT will endeavour to protect the community’s long-term interests, for example by keeping its homes permanently affordable. If the CLT decides to sell a home, the cash realised is protected by an asset lock and is re-invested into something else that the trust’s members think will benefit the local community - it cannot be paid out to members.

What is Bury Parish Community Land Trust, and what are its aims?

• The CLT would enable the community to look for opportunities to provide a small number of genuinely affordable homes for local people, or for people with a strong local connection. A CLT sets its own Housing Allocations policy to manage this.
• The Bury Parish CLT would for now primarily focus on providing affordable rented homes.

Why do we need a CLT in Bury Parish?

A CLT will give Bury Parish a voice, give Bury the housing it needs and give Bury a sustainable future.

There is a shortage of affordable housing in Bury. A CLT would empower the community to engage with landowners and developers to provide affordable rented housing that will help support local people to stay and continue to contribute to our community’s future.

What is the difference between the Bury Community Led Housing Steering Group and Bury Parish CLT?

The Bury Community Led Housing Steering Group was set up by Bury Parish Council with the aim of forming a Community Land Trust (CLT). 

Bury Parish CLT will be an independent organisation with its own legal identity once it has been through an incorporation process.

Who is behind the Community Led Housing Group? 

Current membership of the Bury Parish Community Led Housing Group includes four Parish Councillors and three local residents. 

What is a ‘community asset’?

CLT’s own, develop and steward land and other assets like affordable homes, workspaces and landscapes for the long-term wellbeing of their local community.

Is Bury Parish CLT the same as or part of Bury Parish Council or Chichester District Council?

No, it will be independent of Bury Parish Council and Chichester District Council.

Can I be part of the CLT?

Yes, details on how you can apply to become a member will be made available once the CLT is formally incorporated. 

Is Bury Parish CLT a charity?

This will be confirmed once the CLT has been incorporated.

Is Bury Parish CLT a company or privately owned?

It will not be privately owned. The definition of the legal structure will be confirmed once the CLT has been incorporated.

Who holds Bury Parish CLT to account/ are you regulated?

It is likely to be The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), to be confirmed.

How can I see if Bury Parish CLT steering group members have a conflict of interest?

We will publish details of members' interests on the website.

Is Bury Parish CLT politically aligned?

No

Are there other CLTs locally?

Yes: Arundel CLT, Midhurst CLT, Slinfold CLT.

When will you start to accept members?

We will give details on how to get involved, including membership and future recruitment to the managing board once we are incorporated. Getting responses to the Housing Needs Survey is an important step on this journey, so please encourage people to fill in the survey.

What are the benefits of membership?

Members will be the first to know about updates from the CLT and local projects. They also get a vote at the AGM, including for CLT board members who manage the Trust, decide the allocations policy, and help to sustain the Trust’s assets.

These FAQs will be regularly updated when we receive questions or the information in the answers changes.