Back in 2009 members of three villages on the banks of the picturesque Lyvenett River in Cumbria formed the Lyvennet Community Land Trust. To find out more about how and why they did it check out this short film:
Lyvennet Community Trust 2011 from WeeFlee Productions on Vimeo.
The community’s main concern was to deliver affordable housing for local people, one of the highest priorities in the Lyvennett Valley Community Plan. They developed a robust business plan, using their own substantial expertise, aided by seed funding and enabling support from Hands on Help for Communities, the Community Land Trust Fund, Eden DC, Eden Housing Association and the Cumbria Rural Housing Trust CLT Officer.
In the meantime, the CLT raised in excess of £300,000, through a community share issue, topped up with grants and loans, to buy and refurbish their local pub. The community sees the pub as an intrinsic part of community life and it was with great celebration and pride that the community-owned Butchers Arms reopened on 31 July 2011.
The CLT secured a former quarry site next to the village of Crosby Ravensworth and by the end of 2011 they had 8 self-build plots up for sale and 12 rented and shared ownership homes under construction, due for completion in Spring 2012. Lynevett CLT is the first CLT to gain Registered Provider status with the Tenants Services Authority.
The next project in this pioneering community’s sights is an anaerobic biodigester – tapping into the copious supply of manure from local farms to generating both power and community.
Keep an eye on their progress through the website: http://www.lyvennetcommunitytrust.org/.