The Charlton Horethorne Community Land Trust (CLT) is a not-for-profit organisation set up to benefit the Parish of Charlton Horethorne. A CLT can own land and other assets important to the local community - the initial aim of the Charlton Horethorne CLT is to provide affordable housing for those people with a local connection. A summary of the background is below.

A key issue from the Charlton Horethorne Parish Council’s Housing Needs Survey in 2016 was clear recognition that nationwide housing concerns are to some extent reflected within the Parish, with considerable support for a small development of affordable housing for local people. This housing need was confirmed in the Parish Council’s Community Plan agreed in 2016 and at a public meeting in early 2017. At that meeting there was overwhelming support for the concept of using a Community Land Trust (CLT) to address this need.

Following the public meeting a volunteer Steering Group was formed to take the project forward and during 2017 the Charlton Horethorne CLT was formally constituted and registered with the Financial Conduct Authority.  The CLT Board currently comprises Mark Hughes (Chairman), Chris Nicholson (Treasurer), John Evered (Secretary), Margaret Cressey (Minutes Secretary), with Charles Beney, Michael Hutchings, Nigel Madeley and Roger Pipe as the other directors. The Board is therefore composed of people from various walks of life and from all parts of the Parish – they are all volunteers whose aim is to ensure that the Parish remains a living, thriving entity. The Board believes that Parish interests are best served from within our own community by local management of key issues such as the size of any development (possibly 6-10 houses), site selection, design and how to ensure occupancy by local people.

The Board fully recognizes that it needs to maintain the support of the Parish. The links and references below include presentations and BBC TV Countryfile videos about CLTs explaining why using a CLT is an appropriate solution for Charlton Horethorne and demonstrating that they have worked well elsewhere.

The CLT will proceed as transparently as possible and will issue regular updates, calling public meetings when substantive matters need to be addressed. The public meeting held in September 2017 was widely advertised in local newspapers and the Parish Magazine and this will be the norm in the future.

The Board welcomes the support of those living in the Parish who are at least 16 years old. Residents can become members of the CLT by purchasing at least one £1 share which will give them full voting rights at members’ meetings. Application forms can be obtained from the Village Shop, or from the Secretary, John Evered, contactable at postal address Mildmay House, Milborne Port Road, Charlton Horethorne, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4NH, or email charltonhorethornecltsecretary@gmail.com

Click HERE to find out more information about the Wessex CLT Project.

Click HERE to watch a video about Christow CLT on Countryfile.

Click HERE to visit the home page of Wessex Community Assets.