New Nailsworth homes get the go ahead

A community-led project to deliver 10 new affordable homes in Nailsworth has been given the go-ahead by Stroud District Council.

The scheme, which will be funded and built by ethical housing developer Aster Group, has been planned by non-profit community group Nailsworth Community Land Trust (NCLT). The homes will be made available to local people and families who qualify for affordable housing.

Nailsworth Community Land Trust started working on a Community Right to Build Order (CRTBO) to develop the homes at the site, on the border of Lawnside and Bunting Hill, in December 2014. This followed the agreement by Stroud District Council to sell the site to NCLT for £1. The CRTBO is a type of planning application that allows local groups to propose small-scale community developments that aim to benefit towns.

All profits generated by the development will stay within the community and the new affordable homes will remain the property of Nailsworth Community Land Trust so they can continue to be offered to local people for rent in perpetuity.

Aster Group will maintain the properties and manage the tenancies on behalf of the CLT.

Ian Potts, the Chair of Nailsworth Community Land Trust, said: “Our prime focus is to deliver more affordable housing in Nailsworth. These new high-quality homes represent the first tangible result. It is important to all of us that they will remain genuinely affordable both now and in the future and will never be sold privately. They will be a long-term asset to support the broader development of Nailsworth.”

Karl Hine, community housing project manager at Aster Group, said: “Projects like this are a great way for communities to invest in their local area, put under-used land to work and create much-needed affordable housing.

“We deliver several projects like this every year as part our commitments through the Aster Foundation, our Corporate Social Responsibility initiative set up to support local areas where we work.”

gcp Chartered Architects was appointed by Aster Group and Nailsworth Community Land Trust to design the scheme and it had significant input into the CRTBO.