OUR PROJECTS

OUR FIRST PROJECT

Our first project involved refurbishment of a pair of semi-detached houses in North End. For many years they had been owned by the City Council and occupied by a local charity. When the charity re-located, the properties then lay empty for a number of years. So when we got involved they needed considerable repairs.

In April 2023 our contractors, JPC Property Services Limited, started work to remodel and upgrade them to provide 2 four bed houses.

The refurbishment was completed by January 2024, ready for occupation by families in housing need.

We are very grateful to a number of individuals, companies and organisations whose generous support enabled us to raise the funds required for this project,

FUTURE PROJECTS

We hope these will be the first of other properties which are surplus to the needs of the City Council or other property owners and where PCHT is in a strong position to bring them back into use for social housing. PCHT is not subject to right to buy and so is able to ensure that these properties will be retained for social housing in the long term.

We are currently investigating a number of options for future projects which can restore unused property to create much needed family homes at affordable rents.

COMMUNITY HOUSING

In April 2023, Community Land Trust Network published its latest 'State of the Sector' report. PCHT is a member of the Network.

State of the CLT Sector report.

Launched by the Secretary of State Michael Gove MP in Parliament, the report finds that industry partnerships could help communities to build at least 278,000 homes through replicable project types.

It is estimated that 80% of these homes would be additional and only made possible due to the involvement of a CLT.

The market opportunities to scale proven models are:

30,000 homes on rural exception sites delivered in partnership with housing associations
20,000 homes using portions of large sites, whether urban regeneration or greenfield garden villages
117,000 homes on larger community led exception sites in partnership with developers
33,000 homes in infill sites in low-density council estates
78,000 homes by 150 larger urban CLTs delivering 500 homes each in cities and towns across the country

These figures would see the notional value of CLT assets rise from £550 million today to £47 billion.

"What could be a better example than a neighbourhood taking control, then being in charge of its destiny and making sure that the homes in which people live have the heart and soul of that community embedded in the bricks and mortar? That’s why I’m a supporter of CLTs."

Extract from Rt. Hon. Michael Gove MP’s speech

FINDING PROPERTIES

PCHT will be looking for opportunities where large developments are required as a planning condition to include an element of community led housing. We are therefore interested in establishing working relationships with private developers as well as larger housing associations.

Public bodies, such as the Ministry of Defence and the National Health Service, have significant land and property holdings in the city which are surplus to their operational requirements. PCHT presents an opportunity for the transfer of such property so that it can be repurposed to meet local housing need.

PCHT is also interested in ‘meanwhile’ use of property which is vacant and unused, but where the owners are not able to proceed with their long term plans. In the meantime, such property can often be used to accommodate those in housing need on a temporary basis pending move on to permanent homes.

The government supports the community land trust movement, and is keen to support the growth of community led housing, responding to local needs. PCHT was grateful for early funding from the government agency, Homes England. We hope to benefit from future government funding programmes. But we also need local support and we invite property owners to gift property for community use, secure in the knowledge that, as a charity, our assets are held in perpetuity for the common good.