Report

Brightness on the edge of town

Think tank: Localis

Author(s): Sandy Forsyth

August 28, 2023

This report from UK think tank Localis looks at how Community Land Trusts can deliver affordable housing.

The Government has recognised the benefits that second homes and short-term holiday lettings can bring to local economies and to the tourism sector in terms of increasing consumer choice and distributing tourism across the country. At the same time, the adverse effect that large numbers of second homes can have on some areas has been acknowledged, a situation that has prompted the introduction of a series of measures in mitigation, both top-down and bottom-up. Community Land Trusts (CLTs) are emerging in many tourist hotspots as a means of delivering affordable homes and have proved a popular way of building in sensitive areas of natural beauty. Many have been developed in partnership with housing associations. Brightness on the Edge of Town is the final report of an original research project carried out by Localis and supported by the Local Government Association, aimed at developing a policy narrative to outline the place of Community Land Trusts in the current political debate. The report recaps the need for community-led housing solutions, elucidates the parameters for action and highlight possible pathways to overcoming barriers to delivering affordable housing.