Bradwell Parish Council – from Neighbourhood Plan to Community Ownership

Bradwell is in the Hope Valley in the Peak District National Park. When the Parish Council contacted EMCLH (formerly LCLT) the Neighbourhood Plan was in the later stages of being drafted. Following extensive consultation amongst the residents of Bradwell the Plan included polices on encouraging affordable housing for local people and maintaining and developing employment opportunities in the village. The village wanted to continue as a ‘living, working’ village and not become a second home dormitory village like many others in the National Park. Not content with developing polices for a Neighbourhood Plan, the Parish Council wanted to make sure that policies in the Plan were delivered; the Plan enshrined in Policy that future affordable housing developed in the village would be put into the ownership of a Community Land Trust.

EMCLH (formerly LCLT) provided bespoke consultancy services to Bradwell Neighbourhood Plan Group to enable them to establish a new Community Land Trust for Bradwell; set up as a Community Benefit Society the CLT acts as a community-owned and controlled delivery vehicle for the Neighbourhood Plan. Bradwell CLT has successfully negotiated the free transfer of 12 affordable homes for rent as part of a S106 Agreement drawn up as part of the planning permission for the redevelopment of a former engineering works in the village. The houses will not only provide much-needed affordable homes for local people, but will also create a secure income stream for the CLT to reinvest in more homes or projects for the benefit of the village.

EMCLH’s (formerly LCLT) work in Bradwell was paid for through a grant from the CLT Fund.

Site plan showing the proposed development on the site of a former engineering works; BCLT has negotiated the transfer of 12 affordable homes when the development is completed.