What Lancaster could be like and how we can make it happen
Lancaster is a fine city with a strong sense of identify and distinctiveness. It is a special place. Like all towns and cities of a similar size in Britain it has problems and many of these problems coalesce around opportunity (not enough jobs of the right kind and not enough decent housing for low income groups). Lack of opportunity often goes with a sense of powerlessness. We know we need a lot more affordable homes but where do we make a start to increase the chances that this will happen? We know we need more jobs that match all educational and skill levels in our community but who is creating these jobs and how can we add muscle to this creative process?
One way forward is to shift the balance of who does what in our city and to strive very hard indeed to create a community based organisational focus that can take over assets such as land and buildings, raise cash to make this possible and put ordinary people at the centre of an active process of community improvement rather than waiting for someone else to do something. A group of local people are now actually doing this and using an existing model known as the “Community Land Trust” to do it.
A Community Land Trust or CLT as it is often known as is a community based organisation that works to an agreed set of objectives directly linked to improving opportunity, increasing the number of jobs and affordable homes and doing all this within a framework based on no individuals or groups taking profits, all assets (land and buildings) being put to use by the community for the community, a strong ethical framework guaranteeing respect and safety for all those involved and a strong sense of environmental quality, ecological integrity and human health. The CLT model is already very well established and has already scored considerable success elsewhere in Britain.
In Lancaster the group is now ready to expand its own projects and would very much like to design and construct affordable homes on a suitable site, supporting the identified needs of local communities. It would like to support local food initiatives so that high quality food can be grown locally, provide employment and be provided at affordable prices to all social groups. This is just a start and the beauty of the CLT model is that it provides a sound financial, legal and organisational focus for as many initiatives as there are people willing to come forward with ideas and energy.
If you would like to know more about the Lancaster CLT please contact us.
January 2017.
Lancaster is a fine city with a strong sense of identify and distinctiveness. It is a special place. Like all towns and cities of a similar size in Britain it has problems and many of these problems coalesce around opportunity (not enough jobs of the right kind and not enough decent housing for low income groups). Lack of opportunity often goes with a sense of powerlessness. We know we need a lot more affordable homes but where do we make a start to increase the chances that this will happen? We know we need more jobs that match all educational and skill levels in our community but who is creating these jobs and how can we add muscle to this creative process?
One way forward is to shift the balance of who does what in our city and to strive very hard indeed to create a community based organisational focus that can take over assets such as land and buildings, raise cash to make this possible and put ordinary people at the centre of an active process of community improvement rather than waiting for someone else to do something. A group of local people are now actually doing this and using an existing model known as the “Community Land Trust” to do it.
A Community Land Trust or CLT as it is often known as is a community based organisation that works to an agreed set of objectives directly linked to improving opportunity, increasing the number of jobs and affordable homes and doing all this within a framework based on no individuals or groups taking profits, all assets (land and buildings) being put to use by the community for the community, a strong ethical framework guaranteeing respect and safety for all those involved and a strong sense of environmental quality, ecological integrity and human health. The CLT model is already very well established and has already scored considerable success elsewhere in Britain.
In Lancaster the group is now ready to expand its own projects and would very much like to design and construct affordable homes on a suitable site, supporting the identified needs of local communities. It would like to support local food initiatives so that high quality food can be grown locally, provide employment and be provided at affordable prices to all social groups. This is just a start and the beauty of the CLT model is that it provides a sound financial, legal and organisational focus for as many initiatives as there are people willing to come forward with ideas and energy.
If you would like to know more about the Lancaster CLT please contact us.
January 2017.