What is a Community Land Trust?

Community Land Trusts are legal bodies set up and run by ordinary people primarily to develop and manage homes, as well as other assets important to the community, like community enterprises, food growing or workspaces.  Abbotts Ann CLT is a community benefit society regulated by the Financial Control Authority and its primary aim is to provide a small housing development with affordable housing for local people.

Advantages of being a Community Benefit Society

A Community Benefit Society must:

  • be entirely for the benefit of the community
  • enable members of the community to become members of the trust, and be controlled by members of the trust on a one member one vote basis
  • use any surplus for benefit the community.
  • only use its assets for the benefit of the community, and its assets are subject to an asset lock, which means that if the society is sold or goes into liquidation the assets can still only be used for the benefit of the community
  • Community Land Trusts act as long-term stewards of housing, ensuring that that it remains genuinely affordable, not just for now but for every future occupier

How is the Community Land Trust Run?

The day to day decisions are made by a Board of Directors elected by members of the trust.  Any person who shares the aims and objectives of the Trust can become a member and it is generally assumed that those interested will be local people.  Currently all members are local residents. You will find details of the aims and objectives of the CLT here [link] and we hope many people in the village will join so that you can have your say and elect Board members at the AGM and have a stake in this important village project.

Invitation to become a member

If you are interested and support the aims of the Trust please complete the application form you’ll find on this website and return it to us online or by hand or by post.  Once accepted as a member you will be asked to buy a membership share at a cost of £1 and you will be issued with a membership share certificate.