Wilmington Community Land Trust (WCLT) 2021 Report for Wilmington’s Community

Against the backdrop of a further troubled year for the world, the Board of WCLT has worked steadily to pursue its primary aim of achieving a development of new affordable homes for people with a strong connection to Wilmington, and to meet the administrative and financial compliance expected of us as a not-for-private profit Community Benefit Society by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

As last year, to ensure Covid safety, most WCLT Board Meetings this year have taken place via ‘Zoom’, and a face-to-face 2021 AGM has been replaced by an Annual General Review, mostly paper based, but importantly sufficiently interactive to allow all members to be updated on the Board’s work, and views and votes to be received and noted.  Managing a Community Land Trust is exacting and more than a little time consuming, but the combined expertise, experience and commitment of all 7 (volunteer) Directors ensures it never feels onerous as we work as a team on our exciting project to benefit our village.

To safeguard Wilmington as a thriving, diverse community is our priority, and we have resolutely continued our search for a suitable site on which to build a range of additional affordable homes for local people with modest means.  We are currently actively exploring the potential of land in Wilmington in terms of planning feasibility, vehicle and pedestrian access, and the cost of building the infrastructure and constructing the homes.  Forging a partnership with a Landowner who would like to work with us and whom we trust is also essential.

In the near future we shall be updating our evidence of the local need for affordable homes to inform the number and type of homes for our project and we encourage anyone associated with Wilmington with a current or future affordable housing need to register with Devon Home Choice as this data (anonymised) will also contribute to our evidence base to convince the planners.   However, any land in Wilmington proposed for new housing development will be classified under EDDC Planning Strategy 35 as a Rural Exception Site, permitting a maximum of 15 homes, 66% affordable (in WCLT’s project for local people in perpetuity), and 33% market value for sale to cross subsidise the cost of creating an access road, earthworks, installing the infrastructure, landscaping and building the affordable homes.  The overall development of affordable and market value homes must have architectural cohesion, and complement its natural environment; our project’s affordable homes will also incorporate high levels of insulation and sustainable energy technology, be pleasing to live in and affordable to run.  WCLT will acquire the freehold of the site and lease it to our Registered Provider Housing Association Partner who will finance the capital cost of building the affordable homes and thereafter manage the tenancies and maintenance, paying WCLT an annual ground rent allowing us to invest in future projects to benefit Wilmington community.

Although the WCLT Board is currently at a confidential stage of this project, we shall be very pleased to share more detailed information with you as soon as we can openly do so - and we hope this won’t be too long!

On behalf of my fellow Directors, I would like to assure you that WCLT is in good shape and we remain optimistic and resilient.  Whatever problems will challenge the world in 2021/2, WCLT will do its best to help secure the diversity and sustainability of our community by providing additional, affordable, well built homes to rent and combat the high area house prices and market-rate rents that will inevitably force local people with modest means to move away. If you would like to become a WCLT Member for £1 and actively support our project, please contact Lynn Tribe, Membership Secretary on 07762287426.

Mary Jeffery, Chair Wilmington Community Land Trust

October 2021

 

WCLT Elected Directors and Board Roles

Mary Jeffery                Chair

Kirsten Jones              Vice Chair and Company Secretary

Barbara Cuthbertson  Treasurer

Lynn Tribe                   Membership Secretary

Peter Jeffery

Philip Webber

Nick Jones

WCLT Registered Address: 1 School Houses, Wilmington, Honiton, Devon EX14 9JR

 

Wilmington Community Land Trust (WCLT) 2020 Annual Report

The spread of Covid-19 during 2020 has changed our world.  Everyone has been affected, and WCLT is no exception.  However, despite challenges, Directors have met the administrative and financial due diligence required of us by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and importantly, remained optimistic.

Since the 2019 AGM, Kirsten Jones has taken on the role of Company Secretary and the WCLT official address has been changed to 1 School Houses, Wilmington EX14 9JR, although our email address remains the same: wilmingtonclt@hotmail.com.   Our official 2019 Annual Review (AR30)  and Accounts were submitted on time to the FCA and accepted. 

During early Autumn 2019, we contacted 2 landowners to ask if they would be interested in working with us to create affordable homes for local people on sites that they owned in Wilmington but both declined.  Then in late October 2019, we were approached by a land agent on behalf of a further local landowner and together we explored the feasibility of creating a small mixed development of affordable and market value houses on a site in Wilmington.  Unfortunately, despite all parties wanting the project to progress, it became apparent that obtaining permission for vehicle and safe pedestrian access to this site from the village for such a development would be problematic and probably impossible, so our discussions ended early in 2020.

The Government’s ‘Lockdown’ instructions in March 2020 effectively halted both our site search and our planned schedule of WCLT Board meetings, but Directors continued to communicate and maintain administrative and financial obligations by email and ‘Zoom’ videoconferencing. 

Unwittingly, this difficult year has actually strengthened WCLT’s resilience and resolve, and has prompted Directors to reflect how WCLT may need to adapt to a ‘new normal’ world of changed values, circumstances and opportunities.   Wilmington as a sustainable, thriving village and the wellbeing of our community remain our priorities.  Although we could not hold a face-to-face AGM this year, and the 2020 Annual Review took place via email, post and Zoom owing to restrictions on gatherings, the Board assured its 69 Members that Wilmington Community Land Trust is in good shape and focused on trying to achieve its ambitious aim – to secure a suitable site in Wilmington and build a small development of high quality, affordable homes for local people to rent.  At the time of writing, the UK Government is proposing radical changes to planning laws which could affect Wilmington, so continuing support for WCLT’s  project by our Community will be relevant and appreciated.  If you are not already a member of Wilmington Community Land Trust, but agree with our aim and would like to join, you would be very welcome.  There is a one off cost of only£1 per share.  Please contact our membership Secretary Lynn Tribe on 07762287426.

It would be so reassuring if together we could improve the lives of local people in housing need, help sustain our village, and change our world for the better in these troubled times.

Mary Jeffery, Chair Wilmington Community Land Trust

October 2020

WCLT – Elected Board of Directors

Mary Jeffery                (Chair)

Kirsten Jones              (Vice Chair and Company Secretary)

Barbara Cuthbertson  (Treasurer)

Lynn Tribe                   (Membership Secretary)                    

Peter Jeffery

Nick Jones

Philip Webber

Wilmington Community Land Trust (WCLT) - Annual report – Summer 2019

What an eventful year – and not just in politics!

Since our 2018 AGM, our board (all unpaid volunteers) together with our appointed professional advisers continued the formal work needed towards achieving our aim of building new affordable homes in Wilmington.

We were delighted when in December, EDDC granted outline planning consent to the landowners of the Old Quarry Wilmington, for 6 affordable homes to be built by Teign Housing Association for affordable rent to local people, plus 3 market-value homes for the landowner to sell. EDDC planning officers stated that: ‘WCLT … will work with the site owners to develop the affordable units.  This is very encouraging and will enable affordable homes to be developed to meet the needs of the local community.’

With our project partners and expert advisers, we formed a project management group, initiated surveys of the old quarry site, and commissioned our architect to produce drawings covering house positioning, design, landscaping and internal layout.

2019 therefore started very optimistically. We were especially grateful for the financial grants we obtained from EDDC’s Community Housing Fund to pay for the professional and technical work, and for invaluable guidance from the Wessex Community Land Trust Project.

Regrettably, the project stalled in May 2019 when the quarry landowners took a decision to call a halt.  The WCLT Board had no option but stand down our technical advisors and return unspent grant money to EDDC. Most importantly, we began searching again for another suitable site and we are currently exploring the development potential of some other parcels of land in Wilmington.

We were warned by other CLTs that achievement of our aims might take quite a few years and that we would inevitably encounter setbacks and challenges, so we remain patient and optimistic.  Meanwhile, we thank our 69 members for continuing to support a project to help sustain Wilmington as a thriving village.

If you are not yet a member, please consider joining! It costs only £1, via our membership secretary Lynn Tribe (tel: 07746629080).

If you own some land we could possibly utilise, we would love to hear from you.  Please contact Mary Jeffery, Chair of Wilmington Community Land Trust (wilmingtonclt@hotmail.com)

No doubt the coming year will be eventful too - but hopefully in a good way for WCLT as we actively pursue our ambition of building good quality, affordable homes for local people.  We will keep you updated.

WCLT – Elected Board of Directors

Mary Jeffery               (Chair)

Kirsten Jones              (Vice Chair and Company Secretary)

Barbara Cuthbertson   (Treasurer)

Lynn Tribe                   (Membership Secretary)                     

Peter Jeffery

Nick Jones

Philip Webber

Wilmington Community Land Trust  2018 Annual Report

The Board of Directors of Wilmington CLT  has had another very busy year; during this time, we have confirmed our business relationship with a local landowner in a Heads of Terms Agreement, and an outline planning application for our joint benefit featuring a small development of affordable and open market value homes was submitted in September 2017 to EDDC.

We have updated the Housing Need data for Wilmington, created our WCLT Local Lettings Policy, and successfully applied to the Government’s Community Housing Fund for a grant to fund our ongoing administration and legal costs.

We also instructed a solicitor experienced in working with CLTs, and appointed Teign Housing Association to be our ‘Preferred Provider’ to build and manage the affordable homes on behalf of WCLT.

In late March 2018, we were delighted to learn that the delegated Planning Officer at EDDC had ‘signed off’ the outline planning application, simply requiring a Section 106 Agreement to be drawn up and confirmed by all parties’ solicitors.  From our perspective it will confirm WCLT’s role in the development, our Local Lettings Plan and our affordable rent/shared ownership policy.

So during April, we got the ball rolling on the S106, successfully applying for a second Community Housing Fund Grant to cover its legal aspects, requested Expressions of Interest from Architects, Engineers, Ground Engineers and Landscape Designers in anticipation of creating our ‘Reserved Matters’ detailed planning application, and convened a Project Group comprising representatives from WCLT, Teign Housing, Teign’s Technical Consultants,  the Landowners, their Agent, and Steve Watson to support us and drive the project forward.

Our plan, jointly with the current landowners, is to build 6 affordable and 3 market value homes on the site of The Old Quarry in Wilmington which we all think will make a superb residential location.   WCLT will become the freeholder of the land for the 6 affordable homes ‘in perpetuity’, and the whole scheme will be designed and built with a synergy of material and style to complement its environment and to ensure an indistinguishable blend of affordable and market value houses.  The numbers of affordable homes to be built has been based on current Housing Need evidence and the range of other ‘affordable’ homes in Wilmington.

When we have more detail of the exact design and positioning of the homes on the site, we will hold a community meeting to share elevation drawings, the site plan and WCLT’s Local Lettings Plan with you.  The elected WCLT Board and its partners in the project will have responsibility for all decision making, but as a Community Benefit Organisation, WCLT is committed to communicating with and acting in our community’s best interests during all stages of the project.  The WCLT Board will continue to keep in touch with our 69 members, (observing the privacy requirements of the new GDPR), and will communicate with the wider community via Parish Council meetings, the Parish Council website, and notices in ‘The Link’. 

Teign Housing Association will finance the building of the 6 affordable homes, be the leaseholder for the first 25 years, and manage the tenancies according to WCLT’s Local Lettings Policy.  Importantly, prospective eligible tenants (including those who might wish to buy shared ownership in an affordable property),  must first register their interest with Devon Home Choice (on line or in writing) as early as possible, as we hope the groundworks and build in the Old Quarry will start either later this year or early in 2019.

WCLT’s first aim and priority is to achieve the building of additional affordable homes in Wilmington, the number, size and type according to evidenced need.  However, your Board does not exist or work in isolation.  Individual WCLT Directors are also active members of other Wilmington Community Groups which inevitably helps forge an integration of vision and energy, and a combined commitment to ensure our village can thrive as a dynamic, diverse, caring community into the future to benefit us all.  Further projects involving WCLT will therefore hopefully emerge. 

I am delighted therefore to have been able to report a very successful year for WCLT, and predict that the year ahead will be both challenging and exciting.  We hope very soon to produce some highly visible results and eventually create a fine legacy for  our Wilmington community.

Mary Jeffery

Chair Wilmington Community Land Trust

10 May 2018

 

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February 2018 Update

Wilmington Community Land Trust celebrated its first official birthday in February 2018. Following a well attended community meeting in the Village Hall in April 2017, our membership numbers are now nearing 70 which is amazingly good for a small village with a population of just over 300.

The Board of Directors was elected at a Special General Meeting in August 2017, and has been liaising with a number of local landowners in our search for an appropriate site on which to build 6 affordable homes for people with a local connection to Wilmington. We have also refreshed the local Housing Needs Survey data to ensure Devon Home Choice and EDDC have up to date evidence that justifies such a development in our village.

We are very pleased to have had some financial support from Widworthy Parish Council, and to have recently been awarded a grant from EDDC's Community Housing Fund for administration and the professional fees of legal and design professionals.

Following expressions of interest from 3 Housing Associations to work as a partner with us in the development and operational management of our planned affordable homes in Wilmington, after interviewing senior staff from 2 of these, The Board has appointed Teign Housing from Newton Abbot. Board members visited one of the CLT projects they have supported at Christow in Dartmoor National Park which has won several awards and which was featured on BBC Countryfile last year, and we were impressed and interested to learn as much as possible to help us in our development. Teign Housing will also work with Upper Coly Valley CLT in their affordable housing project in Northleigh.

We had hoped by now there might be a decision to share with you from EDDC Planners regarding the application submitted in September 2017 to build affordable houses in Old Wilmington Quarry, which we are supporting, but “Awaiting Decision” remains on the website.

So for now, we can only keep our fingers crossed, and look forward optimistically to a productive second year.

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BECOMING A MEMBER

If you would like to become a member, and be kept up to date with progress and to attend meetings, please contact the CLT by phone or email, as shown below, and you will be sent a membership form, to join only costs £1.

Wilmington CLT is a Society for the benefit of the community                               

Registered Address: Rookery Cottage, Widworthy Court, Wilmington, Devon. EX14 9JN  

Tel: 07746 629080.   Email: wilmingtonclt@hotmail.com

 

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The Parish Council have provided space on their website for the Wilmington CLT as a community service.

The Wilmington CLT organisation is not affiliated to, and is totally independent from the Widworthy Parish Council.  The opinions expressed on the Wilmington CLT page do not necessarily reflect those of the Council.

 

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