Frome Area Community Land Trust has renewed its appeal to local landowners who might be able to offer land for much needed affordable housing in the town.

The organisation, which is run by volunteers and dedicated to creating genuinely affordable homes for local people in Frome, has been in existence for around eighteen months. As with other Community Land Trusts operating in the UK their goal of providing stable, low cost and long term housing solutions is an increasing priority. With no social housing built in Frome for many years, and current social housing proposals from Mendip District Council for sites at Easthill and North Parade Car Park still in discussion, the local CLT are keen to identify more sites that might offer potential.

Roger Saunders, chair of the Frome Area Community Land Trust knows only too well that identifying suitable land is a frustrating task. Roger said "We've been looking at a number of sites for some time now. Whilst one or two remain as possibilities, many tend to be unviable for various reasons, including problems with access or complications with ownership. What we really need is for local people who own land, whether these are small or large plots, to think about how they might use their land to benefit the community - and get in touch with us." Roger added "We have a professional team who can quickly assess the viability of land for a community housing project and we are able to raise funding to purchase plots, albeit not as much as commercial developers. The added bonus though is that Community Land Trusts can often develop on sites that arer too smallor complicated for commercial house builders or housing associations, and can sometimes persuade Planning Authorities to grant consent to proposals outside current housing policy.'

Frome has a desperate need for genuinely affordable housing. Rents and property prices continue to rise, leaving many local people unable to afford adequate accommodation. Homes provided by the CLT will be principally offered to people with a local connection who might otherwise be forced to move elsewhere. Community Land Trust homes for rent would also remain genuinely affordable in perpetuity.

The Frome Area Community Land Trust hopes to lead the way by providing homes for people in Frome desperate for housing, people who are currently sitting on the long waiting list for a home. If you have land and are interested in helping, or know of someone with land who might want to talk to us, please get in touch by emailing [email protected] for an informal chat.