Our Mission
Our mission is to maintain and enhance the sustainability of existing communities by supporting them to set up local community land trusts to own and manage assets, primarily affordable housing, but also other facilities and amenities that meet the needs of the people of Wiltshire, Swindon and neighbouring areas.
Wiltshire CLT is a partner of Homes of Our Own, the community-led housing hub for Wiltshire and Swindon. Wiltshire CLT is part of the board of Homes of Our Own and provides support and scrutiny to the Homes of Our Own service, ensuring that it meets the needs of those interested in being involved in community-led housing. More information on the services available from Homes of Our Own can be found here .
Wiltshire CLT is run by a board of management, with a maximum of 12 members, including co-opted members. All board members are unpaid volunteers. The Board is elected by the members of Wiltshire CLT each of whom holds one share of £1 nominal value. The Wiltshire CLT Board meets at least four times a year and is responsible for overseeing the activities of the organisation
Become a member
Application for membership is open to:
– any individuals over the age of 18 living or working in Wiltshire
– corporate and un-incorporated bodies active in Wiltshire (represented by a nominated individual) who support the objects of the Trust and agree to be bound by its Rules*
Membership of Wiltshire Community Land Trust requires the purchase of a share of the value of £1 (one pound). To become a shareholding member, application* should be made in writing to the Trust’s registered office, and should be accompanied by the £1 share purchase price.
* PDF copies of WCLT’s Rules and a membership application form can be found to the left of the screen.
Current board members of Wiltshire Community Land Trust
Trevor Cherrett (Chair)
Trevor Cherrett is a rural planner with particular expertise and experience in housing and community development issues. His career spans local and central government; teaching, research and consultancy, including authorship of a good practice guide to meeting affordable rural housing needs; and rural community development at the local level as a former Director of the Sussex Rural Community Council. He served as an expert advisor to the Commission for Rural Communities from 2005 to 2010, focusing on planning for sustainable rural communities, and played a major part in the creation of the national Rural Coalition chaired by Lord (Matthew) Taylor and the publication of its rural prospectus The Rural Challenge in 2010. He was a consultant on the Carnegie UK Trust Rural Action Research Programme, and is a member of the Town and Country Planning Association`s Policy Council. Trevor is also a part-time course tutor at the University of Reading, and a Board Member of Wiltshire Rural Housing Association.
Philippa Read (Treasurer)
Philippa Read has recently retired from her role as Chief Executive of Community First, the Rural Community Council for Wiltshire and Swindon. Philippa has an extensive knowledge of Wiltshire and its communities, having worked for Community First for over 19 years, and through her work is involved in various strategic partnerships, including the Wiltshire Assembly, Action for Wiltshire, the Military and Civilian Integration Sponsoring Group, the Wiltshire Voluntary Sector Infrastructure Consortium Wiltshire Strategic Economic Partnership Executive and the Social Enterprise Working Group. She is currently chair of the Wiltshire Activity and Sport Partnership.
Mike R Ash CBE, MRTPI
Mike R Ash is a Chartered Town Planner, a Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute and a Vice President of the Town and Country Planning Association. He worked for 35 years in the various central Government departments responsible for the town and country planning system and was the Chief Planner for ten years until his retirement in 2006. He advised Ministers on planning legislation, on policy and on major planning decisions. Earlier in his career he worked on policy for rural areas, for urban regeneration and on housing finance.
Mike Ash has lived in Bishopstone, near Salisbury, since 2008. He has served as a Councillor on Bishopstone Parish Council and is now the Parish Clerk. Mike Chairs Wiltshire Rural Housing Association.
Richard Kitson OBE
Richard Kitson has been involved in the housing sector at national, regional and local level for over 40 years. Amongst his current roles he is a board member of Wiltshire Rural Housing Association and of South West Housing Initiative, an organisation that is a partnership of employers, trades unions and the professions which argues the case for the provision of sufficient and affordable homes. As a freelance consultant he provides advice on strategies and leadership to a number of organisations and coaches and mentors chief executives and directors. He is also a board member of Artichoke, a creative arts production company. He is a former housing association group chief executive and local authority housing director and a former President of the Chartered Institute of Housing. He was awarded an OBE in 2010. He championed the creation of WCLT and lives in a village in south west Wiltshire.
Professor Stephen Walker
Stephen is an Independent Economic Consultant and Lecturer with a special interest in Land, Spatial Planning and Development. Stephen is a specialist in Development Appraisal and Economic Viability (including the impact of delivering affordable housing, planning obligations and CIL).
Michael Ash
Michael Ash has worked in the affordable housing sector for over 25 years. He is currently the Head of Housing and Community Safety at Swindon Borough Council. After graduating from Lancaster University he spent time as a civil servant in the Home Office and worked for an international hotel chain. He started his housing career with a London based housing association before moving to Swindon. He recently project managed Swindon’s “Housing Vote” and subsequently accepted the role of Head of Housing at the Borough. He now has additional responsibilities for Community Safety.
Michael is responsible for all of the statutory and landlord housing functions in Swindon. Swindon was the first authority in the South West to start building council houses again after a break of 20 years, taking advantage of opportunities for growth and dealing with ongoing pressures of homelessness. Michael is a Corporate Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing and until recently a Board Member of Synergy Housing.
Peter Cooper
Retired, having worked in public sector housing for many years. Peter held positions with both local authorities and housing associations as well as being an independent housing consultant.
He has been a board member for three housing associations, an active member of the Chartered Institute of Housing and a member of the Local Government Association Housing Policy Group.
Peter helped to launch a community enterprise in the Wiltshire village where he lives to develop and operate a community shop. He is currently the Chairperson of that organisation.