News

14th March 2020

Land Required for affordable housing

We are asking for your help to find a piece of land in Stoke Gabriel for the development of up to 12 affordable homes.
Please contact us if you have a piece of land within the Parish and would be interested in helping a worthwhile Community project that would change local people’s lives now and in the future.

Our need for affordable homes: These homes are for families and individuals with strong local connections to the Parish, who are struggling to afford to live here because of high rents, yet they work in key local jobs, like the shop and pre-school, which contribute to sustaining our village. Many are from local families who have lived in the village for generations.

Creating homes: These houses would be protected so that only local people could live in them and would be kept affordable for future generations of villagers. They would be designed and constructed to the highest sustainable standard with high energy efficiency

The type of site needed: We are seeking land within the Parish boundary, of between one and three acres, fairly flat and accessible by road. We are able to take advantage of a special planning process as we are a community initiative; this means that we can develop a site that would not normally receive planning permission.

Payment for land: In order to achieve affordability of the houses, it is essential that the land price is kept as low as possible. Under “Exception Site” planning rules we are able to look at sites which sit just outside the planning boundary making them more valuable then just agricultural land values. In some cases it is even possible to build the land owner an open market property. Please talk to us for more information.

Our Support: We have significant support from Stoke Gabriel Parish Council, the Neighbourhood Plan Group and South Hams District Council and have built strong links with them over the last 3 years. Our Community Land Trust has sold over 450 shares to local people who have become CLT members.

Time is of the essence: We need to identify a site soon, otherwise we may be forced to cease our efforts. We are a small group of volunteers running the CLT, with full time work commitments and families, and we need your help as a matter of urgency.

Tom (Chair of SGCLT) would be delighted to hear from you and be most grateful if you could contact him on 07799 403788 or email: tom@sgclt.org.uk and our website has a short video introducing us and explaining our needs.