Portland Community Land Trust
NEWS
Dec 2 , 2025
The Portland Community Land Trust Annual General Meeting was held at Osprey Leisure Centre on On Tuesday 2nd December 2025 at 7.00pm.
Dec 5, 2024
Annual General Meeting
Portland Community Land Trust held its AGM for members on the 5 December 2024 at the Osprey Leisure Centre. The minutes of that meeting are shown here as well as some updating information recently sent to members.
The Portland Community Land Trust Annual General Meeting and minutes of the 2023 meeting can her found here.
The minutes of the 2024 meeting can be found here.
It should be noted that the National Planning Policy Framework changes to the framework sees greater emphasis on local needs and increased involvement of CLT’s. That said backing the changes up with actual cash was yet to be seen and the CLT would have to wait to see how the seeds of change were going to be taken forward.
Dec 7, 2023
Annual General Meeting
Portland Community Land Trust held its AGM for members on the 7th December 2023 at the Osprey Leisure Centre. The minutes of that meeting are shown here as well as some updating information recently sent to members.
The minutes of the meeting can be found here.
A further update to members since the AGM is outlined below.
As advised at the AGM the new National Planning Policy Framework includes phrasing which supports the work of CLTs. The most relevant sections are shown below (in italics).
In addition, in relation to the properties at High Street, we have now had confirmation of an offer from Dorset Council of a grant for £50k and which EBHT have offered to top up by £5k (if needed) in line with the indicated budget. We have confirmed details and will be accepting this.
Within this context of establishing need, the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community should be assessed and reflected in planning policies. These groups should include (but are not limited to) those who require affordable housing; families with children; older people (including those who require retirement housing, housing-with-care and care homes); students; people with disabilities; service families; travellers; people who rent their homes and people wishing to commission or build their own homes.
Community-led developments:
A development instigated and taken forward by a not for-profit organisation set up and run primarily for the purpose of meeting the housing needs of its members and the wider local community, rather than being a primarily commercial enterprise. The organisation is created, managed and democratically controlled by its members. It may take any one of various legal forms including a community land trust, housing co-operative and community benefit society. Membership of the organisation is open to all beneficiaries and prospective beneficiaries of that organisation. The organisation should own, manage or steward the homes in a manner consistent with its purpose, for example through a mutually supported arrangement with a Registered Provider of Social Housing. The benefits of the development to the specified community should be clearly defined and consideration given to how these benefits can be protected over time, including in the event of the organisation being wound up.
Feb 17, 2022
Expansion of community housing fund
The National Community Land Trust Network has recently prepared a briefing note for MPs in support of the case to renew and expand the Community Housing Fund and asked Portland CLT if we could lobby around this which we have done. We remain hopeful that this fund together with other potential funding opportunities will allow us to move forward.
Dec 21, 2021
Details of the Portland Community Land Trust AGM held on the 28th September 2021, are available below.
May 28, 2020
Presentations from 25th January Event
The AGM has been scheduled for the 25th June at 7pm and will be held virtually. The AGM is open to members only but it is intended that AGM papers will be published on this website for the purposes of transparency.
The Land Trust activities have again been nominal this year due to various reasons however in accordance with the intention to be as transparent as possible and to prepare for the future the Trust commissions a full set of accounts.
These drafts are scheduled below and will be confirmed at the AGM
May 28, 2020
Presentations from 25th January Event
The Portland Community Land Trust held two consultation events in January to explain our role in the Sweethill Gardens development. We thought for those members who were unable to attend that details of the presentation would be generally informative.
Jan 18, 2020
Public Meeting Proposed Affordable Housing at Sweethill Gardens
Proposed Affordable Housing at Sweethill Gardens (former Southwell School)
Tuesday 21st January 2020 7.30pm – 8.30pm St Andrews Hall, Southwell
Saturday 25th January 2020 10.30am – 11.30am C2000 Hall, Easton
Portland Community Land Trust (PCLT) invite you to discuss with them, and partners the plans for affordable housing as part of the Sweethill Gardens development.
At the meeting you will be able to :-
Meet the developer Koori Ltd and discuss the provision of affordable housing as part of the planning application for reserved matters. The proposal is for 50 homes with 9 affordable to rent.
Meet representatives from our Housing Association Partner (Aster Housing) and discuss with the PCLT Board the reasons why PCLT is involved with the development of the site and how the affordable units will be made available.
Meet members of the PCLT Board. Find out further information about PCLT and join as a member.
Dec 5, 2019
Sweethill Gardens Development
At the Annual General Meeting in March 2019 we received support to allow the Board to progress negotiations on developments and feasibility before seeking formal agreement from members and the wider community. In taking such an approach with developers we will always make this position clear.
Over the last few months we have been in discussion with the Developer Redtale and Housing Association partner Aster selected as preferred partners by Homes England to progress the former Southwell School to secure a commitment to affordable housing to address local need . Due to issues of confidentiality and the election purdah we have been limited to the extent we can share this information.
The developer has now submitted their formal application and this has been registered and validated quicker than anticipated.
In the New Year the CLT, Redtale and Aster will be holding a consultation event so that people can look at the proposals and ask questions and lodge views.
Mar 3, 2019
Support for CLTs is growing
In a recent submission to Government Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership were supportive of Community Led Housing Schemes and saw these as an integral part of delivering local need alongside supporting economic growth.
Mar 3, 2019
Our Current Work
A brief background introduction to the work of the board of Portland Community Land Trust.
The Board currently meets monthly. It has been exploring opportunities for delivering affordable homes for many months and is now discussing the CLT’s possible involvement in delivering affordable homes for rent on two brownfield sites in public ownership. We feel community support for the involvement of Portland CLT in these areas would be forthcoming but is dependent on the Landowners agreement. We hope to be in a position to come back to the community to seek their support for the propositions in due course before progressing. We anticipate this will be in advance of our Annual General Meeting.
The CLT also wish to promote its work and extend its current membership. We currently have around 50 members.
