Smart Government: Local Homes For Local People

House estate rooftops

Parliament Street Director, Tom Hunt, has called for the Conservative Party to provide more support for the expansion of Community Land Trusts (CLT’S) in his chapter within Parliament Street’s first book, “Smart Government”

Tom Hunt provides two in depth case studies of how CLT’S have been established in rural and urban settings since the last election. Both have linked the level of rent and house price of CLT units to local incomes and prioritise those with a local connection, providing a lifeline for many in work local people who currently feel shut out of the property market. It is argued that this is crucial for sustainable communities, particularly in rural settings.

The chapter argues that the current housing debate needs to move beyond numbers alone . Despite the Government’s attempt to bring localism into planning via the Localism Act, too often, the need to provide more housing has come into conflict with local democracy and the wishes of settled communities.

It is argued that a significant expansion of CLT’S can play a key role in combating this tension and through the case studies used, it is demonstrated how this can be the case.

The Director of the National Community Land Trust Network, Catherine Harrington, contributed towards the chapter and outlines a number of detailed “Asks” of central government ahead of the General election campaign and the drafting of the Conservative Party manifesto.

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Smart Government will be available for purchase online shortly. Please contact us directly, for further book queries. 

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