The Solva Community Land Trust (Solva CLT) was established in 2019 with the intention of establishing a long-term community housing project in Solva. The housing will help to provide genuinely affordable housing for current residents and future generations for the communities of Solva and Brawdy. Solva CLT will safeguard these dwellings and maintain them in partnership with a not-for-profit housing association.
Our project partners include Pembrokeshire County Council, PLANED (who administer the LEADER-funded Pembrokeshire Community Land Trust project) and housing association ateb.
Our vision is to build environmentally low-impact housing – ideally net zero carbon – allowing for the most up-to-date technologies to be utilised in both the build and ongoing use of the properties. We are keen to utilise renewable energy resources to develop a truly green solution which would allow the project to offset running costs and provide lower rental costs.
Community Land Trusts are set up and run by ordinary people to develop and manage homes as well as other community assets. CLTs act as long-term stewards, ensuring that housing remains genuinely affordable, not just now but in the future too.
In Solva’s case, around £3m has been allocated by Pembrokeshire County Council to the Trust from the Second Home Premium’ which is levied on Council Tax bills. This means that the community can determine what housing goes there and who will be eligible to occupy the new homes. Consultations have been held and a questionnaire was circulated in May 2020 – see the news item below for the results.
The electoral ward of Solva and Brawdy has been identified as an area requiring additional residential housing due to the high number of second homes and holiday lets within the community leading to a limited amount of affordable rented accommodation and long-term housing opportunities.
Working in partnership with Pembrokeshire County Council, Solva Community Council sought to establish its own CLT to deliver affordable community housing. An interim Board was established comprising four founder members. The interim Board has been assisted by other people in the early stages of the project to get the CLT off the ground, including PLANED.
A number of workshops were run in Solva in order to better understand housing needs in the area. The information gathered is being supplemented with a survey to further ascertain the expressed needs of the community. 141 people completed the survey – see the News post below for more details.
A site was identified early on – the football field opposite Bay View Stores – which has long been the focus of a potential development in the village.
In October 2020, Pembrokeshire County Council voted to release the grant to enable the scheme to proceed. Our AGM is taking place via Zoom on 18 November at 7pm to which everyone is invited (but only members can vote).
You can join the SCLT by downloading a form or getting one from Bay View Store – it only costs a pound! At the AGM, you can also stand for election of the Board.
“Solva Community Land Trust was set up to create suitable and affordable housing for the communities of Solva and Brawdy. Housing is a very important part of wellbeing and the sustainability of rural communities. Solva CLT will steer this exciting project and ensure that local people born and brought up here can stay and live in the community, now and in the future”
Sue Denman, Founding Chair of Solva CLT
The first General Meeting of the CLT was held on 18 November 2020 and the minutes are available to download.
Our Board is made up of Josh Philips (chair), Heidi Holland (vice chair), Patrick Nash (treasurer) second from the left, Rachel Lewis (secretary), Colin Reynolds (membership secretary), Ifor Thomas third from the left, Jackie Young, Mark Carter, Bethan Stephens, Jamie King, Rob Jones and Mollie Roach.
Jo Rees-Wigmore (PLANED) who has helped us set up the CLT, is standing next to Sue. The picture was taken at Tŷ Solar.
If you would like to contact Solva Community Land Trust, you can do so:
By email on solvaclt@gmail.com
By telephoning the 07900 241774
By filling in the website contact form
