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Engaging the Local Authority

A community land trust scheme may not be something for which there is an established policy and securing the support of officers and members to the principles underlying your proposal will help to secure the agreements you need.

The local housing and local planning authority will both need to be involved in and give their consent to the scheme as explained elsewhere.

Seeking the support and advice of your local councillor might be a good place to start. There may be policies which have to be amended if CLTs are not already part of council policy and the officers may be able to do no more than interpret existing policy.

Support may also come from parts of the authority concerned with community development or regeneration if the CLT might be seen as achieving outcomes which go beyond affordable housing.

All local authorities are required to set up a Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) which brings together the local authority, police, health authority, education, business and voluntary and community organisations. The aim is to coordinate policy and bring strategies in line within a joint Community Plan. Affordable housing, regeneration and community engagement are often objectives of the LSP and they could offer support: but probably not financial.