Community Led Planning

We are the county experts on parish plans, neighbourhood planning and other forms of community led planning. These offer an excellent way to identify the needs of the whole community, build understanding between different community groups and develop actions to benefit your community. Sometimes it is not about all the issues within a community, maybe just one - we can also advise on undertaking effective smaller scale consultations.

There is nothing new about community led housing – The first alms houses date back to the 12th century! In more recent times Housing Cooperatives and charitable trusts have operated for decades, owning and managing housing for communities. 

The term ‘community led housing’ is commonly used to describe homes that are developed and/or managed by local people or residents, in not for profit organisational structures. There are a range of models that can be adopted including self-help housing, Co-housing, co-operatives and tenant controlled housing, Community Land Trusts (CLTs).

One of the best known example of this in Norfolk is the Homes for Wells project which was set up with the aim of offering low cost housing to local ‘key workers’ in the Wells area as a priority.

Community Action Norfolk has worked hard to support affordable housing solutions for many years, supporting charities with land and property, promoting the development of community Land Trusts and providing support to organisations looking to support their communities.  We can help you find the right legal structure, identify funding, manage consultations, find partners, provide training for members, committees, trustees and the local community. 

In 2016 the government released £60million to invest in community Led housing and about £9million  has been allocated to Norfolk, (Breckland, Gt Yarmouth, Kings Lynn and West and North Norfolk will all receive a share). This represents a major opportunity to develop solutions for your community. Think it’s not for you? Well think again – More than 1,300 registered charities own, manage, support or deliver housing services across England and Wales. There are about 20 Community Land Trusts in the UK and more than 700 Housing cooperatives. All led by local people who had an idea.

So whether you already have property that you want to develop for your community, are looking to buy or just a have that idea give us a call.

Some useful links for more information:

• Homes for Wells 
• Government Investment 
• Community Land Trusts 
• Small Scale Community Led Housing