Keys to First Community Land Trust Home Handed to Tenants in Haddenham

The Trustees of Haddenham Community Land Trust handed the keys to their first two properties over to tenants on 22nd January 2021.

A further three properties will follow in February. The properties are situated on the fifty four property Ovins Rise development near the village centre, just off the A1123.

HCLT will own seventeen of the properties to be let to local people. Two further properties will be for shared ownership alongside HCLT.

The objectives of Haddenham Community Land Trust are to;

1. provide affordable housing to local people who may have been “priced-out” of the housing market but who have both the need and desire to live in the villages of Haddenham and Aldreth; and
2. ultimately support other community projects.

The Trustees with the support of Haddenham Parish Council, Homes England, East Cambs District Council and the Cambs & Peterborough Combined Authority and in partnership with the property developers Palace Green Homes have had to work hard in challenging circumstances to get to this position.

Planning permission was granted in 2018 but building work could only start after extensive archaeological survey work was completed at the site uncovering Romano-British 1^st century AD remains.

Building started in earnest in Autumn 2019 but halted during the first lockdown. The first two properties, one-bedroom bungalows, along with a show-home were completed in the middle of January 2021. 

“During these challenging coronavirus times we have only succeeded through hard work, commitment, common sense and mutual support by all parties involved including importantly our members,” says Mark Hugo Chair of HCLT, “It is very exciting to be welcoming our first tenants and seeing the whole site develop to become an attractive, landscaped and family friendly environment.”

Press release from Haddenham Community Land Trust