Great Yarmouth Borough Council offers loans to help communities bring forward affordable housing

The first phase of the scheme saw Great Yarmouth Borough Council awarding grants of up to £5,000 from the Community Housing Fund to support residents to set up Community-Led Housing Organisations. So far, four grants have been provided leading to the establishment of four new Community Land Trusts (CLTs) across the borough.

Community-Led Housing Organisations are set up and run by local people to develop and manage homes that are important to their community. These not-for-profit membership organisations want to build affordable housing for local people by local people. Their core aim is to ensure these homes are genuinely affordable based on what people of the area actually earn.

The four CLTs set up in the borough so far are: Hopton Community Land Trust, Lothingland Community Land Trust, Flegg Community Land Trust and Great Yarmouth Community Land Trust. Areas covered by these CLTs include: Rollesby, Hemsby, Somerton and Martham, Great Yarmouth town centre, Belton with Browston, Burgh Castle and Fritton with St Olaves and the parish of Hopton.

As the second phase, Community-Led Housing Organisations, including CLTs, are invited to apply for loans to meet the cost of the organisation seeking planning consent for the new homes it wants to provide.

Up to £60,000 is available to support progressing a site from feasibility stage to a planning application. The money can be used to cover architect and legal fees, surveys, project support and further activities the Community Housing Fund Group consider suitable.

Cllr Emma Flaxman-Taylor, vice chairman of the Housing and Neighbourhoods Committee, said: "The scheme has been introduced to support local residents to deliver good quality, affordable housing in their own communities.

"The council is excited for the second phase of this Government-funded scheme to begin so that Community-Led Housing Organisations, including CLTs, can initiate their planning process."

Adrian Myers, chairman of Lothingland CLT, said:"As chairman of the Lothingland Community Land Trust, I am delighted that the council has set aside funding that can be accessed by CLTs, in the form of a loan. This would enable the CLT to apply for additional funding from other agencies such as Central Government and the private sector.

"The council fund creates even greater opportunities for CLTs to develop land for building rented properties and meeting identified local housing needs and not just Central Government housing targets."

To apply for funding, Community-Led Housing Organisations should contact Debbie Wildridge on 07703 814581. Further information is available at www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk/community-housing-fund