Help a small Cornish community to secure their future
We are a Community Land Trust that is fundraising to buy land on which we will build four affordable homes for local people. We have to raise the funds we need by January 31st. If we miss this deadline the opportunity to build could be lost forever, as competing bidders are unlikely to have the community’s best interests at heart.
The National Housing Crisis is at it's most extreme in Cornwall
The UK has a huge housing crisis and nowhere is this more visible than in Cornwall where the differential between average house prices and average incomes is at its most extreme. Only one in seven homes in Cornwall is classified as affordable and the average house price is more than nine times a young person's wage. Without young people and families there is no-one to work in shops and restaurants and we have no key workers for education or healthcare. We need this community to thrive so we are aiming to build and manage affordable homes for both rent and sale to local people.
Where is St Ewe?
St Ewe is a tiny village on the south coast of Cornwall. In our parish we have The Lost Gardens of Heligan, our war memorial contains the names of the ‘ Lost Gardeners’ and our church is home to beautiful art commissioned by Heligan for the centenary of the Armistice. It is home to a fabulous pub, the famous Lobbs Farm Shop and the exceptionally tasty, St Ewe Eggs. We are a small village filled with normal people. Together we make up a vibrant local community that wants to be able to house local people into the future.
What Are We Trying To Achieve?
The land we want to buy is part of ancient Glebe Land owned by the Diocese of Truro. This is currently being publicly offered for sale. We are trying to put together a bid for the land to keep it safe from the ever present threat of property developers who are unlikely to have the community's best interests at heart. They are likely to prioritise yet more second homes, holiday lets and inappropriate development.
We have until January 31st to gather enough money to purchase this land. We have some money already saved and we are hoping to be able to get more money in grants and loans. Given the tight deadline we are turning to Crowdfunder to get as good a bid together as we can in this short space of time.
Our plan, if we can buy the land, is to build four affordable homes. It is likely that the majority of the homes will be for rent as that is the current local need. Our structure ensures that the houses we build will be owned by the community for the community. They will stay affordable forever and will always prioritise local people which is critical for the future health of this community.
Why We Think We Can Do This
In 2008 St Ewe Affordable Homes Ltd (SEAHL) built six Affordable Homes on land previously owned by Truro Diocese adjacent to the land we are now hoping to buy. These houses have been a huge success. Designed to be sympathetic to the village, they were built to be environmentally friendly, they are powered by solar panels and house six local families.
We are some way into realising our plan to acquire the land. The Parish Council and SEAHL have some funds but we need additional money to place a bid to purchase and to progress the scheme. To put in a credible bid for the land, cover legal costs and to progress the scheme we think we need an additional £40,000 by 15th December, the deadline set for offers.
If you are able to help us, you will be helping a small village to prevent property developers build yet more second homes. You will be helping us build a sustainable community that can house itself today and into the future.
As well as being incredibly grateful you would always find a warm welcome to our village and our fabulous local pub.
If we are unsuccessful in our bid to buy this land, we intend to return all donations.