samuel-saunders.bsky.social
Producer of The Saxonvale Saga - narrative audio documentary/podcast.
The Commons / Localism / Political Philosophy
https://linktr.ee/samuelsaunders
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For those with an interest in learning a bit about Mayday, their community led development model, and how they got to where they are despite the immense challenges, I made an audio narrative-led documentary/podcast - shows.acast.com/the-saxonval...
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Anyone interested in the five-year story of what led to this...I made a podcast/audio narrative documentary - shows.acast.com/66a2308999c0...
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Offer was above the red book value/land valuation (£4.9m) first time round so very likely the same. Mendip District Council overpaid when they bought the land originally.
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For those wanting to learn more I made a narrative podcast on Mayday and Saxonvale. shows.acast.com/the-saxonval... via @acast
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4/ There were 1.33 million households on local authority housing registers at 31 March 2024, an increase of 3% compared to 31 March 2023 and the highest it has been since 2014. For context, over 12,000 households are currently on the social housing register in #Somerset.
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3/ Council's are increasingly accepting "commuted sums" in lieu of the affordable housing specified by S106 deals, or rewriting S106 requirements to lower affordable housing quotas, or switching social rented homes to homeownership products such as shared ownership or discounted market sale.
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2/ Thousands of homes are completed but empty, or have been held up, as HAs can no longer afford to buy them for social rent as they financially unviable. More than half of the 30 top associations have cut or completely stopped buying them.
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I think you are right: The scars of austerity and the Big Society run deep. Do you know of any good writing/video/podcasts on inspiring stories of the community right to buy in Scotland?
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Same thing happened with Saxonvale in Frome, when Mayday the Com led group lost out to developers (again Section 123 and Best Con). Both involve the purchase of council-owned land, but how far the right to buy extends, and what protection it offers in regards to lower offers will be vital. 2/2
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Details will be important. In Frome, Packsaddle is attempting to be bought by the community, but is being sold by Somerset Council to developers. Section 123 and Best Consideration means, they say, they cannot sell to the community (as below what devs are paying). It's also an asset of com value 1/2
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It will be interesting to see if Com Right To Buy will extend to land, as the white paper references smaller scale acquisitions (like buildings) only, AFAIK.
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However, a long-term solution is still essential, as highlighted urgently four years ago by Tony Redmond.
Please read my substack article for a more in depth look at the issue.
6/6
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The reason is that the audits they would consider “exceptionally high risk”, and in the the public interest for inspection, are not complete. This means they cannot inspect them.
The Labour government’s plans to implement the audit backstop arrangements aims to address the existing backlog. 5/6
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The LGA has identified a £4bn funding gap by 2024-25, rising to £6.2bn by 2026-27.
YET
The FRC will now not perform routine inspections in local government up to and and including the financial year ended 31 March 2024. 4/6
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Local authority accounts are often considered untrustworthy by those who should be using them to hold local government to account.
Almost 1 in 5 council leaders and chief executives think it is very or fairly likely that they will need to issue a Section 114 notice this year, or next year. 3/6
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Local government audit has been in crisis for years, since the Audit Commission was abolished, one of the most successful regulators, inspectors and improvement agencies in the recent history of British government. 2/6
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Excellent, I may see you there!
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Extraordinary meeting of the Executive has been scheduled on the 23rd January back at Frome Town Hall to, one would think, decide to sell the land to Mayday. The hard work in delivering can then begin. A lot of eyes will be on them to how well they do, not just in Somerset!
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Full report is here - labour.org.uk/wp-content/u...
#development #housebuilding #communitylandtrust #nppf #devolution
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-To put communities at the heart of development, a Labour government should support the creation of Community Land Trusts and Community-Led Housing
- Introducing a Community Right to Buy based on the Scottish model, in the other three nations of the United Kingdom.
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- A formal review of participation in planning, whose purpose is to ensure that communities are better able to co-create local policies and developments.
- The appointment of a Future Generations Champion to represent the interests of children and unborn generations.
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- Development should be led by democratically-accountable public bodies and communities.
- Local authorities should also be empowered to lead local development. They should set housing targets based on the type, size and tenure that local people need and can afford.
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Low-carbon tech, housing, sustainable agriculture and nature-recovery can be delivered together with intelligent planning.
Here's hoping for a land use framework that:
🎄allocates space for nature
🎄links to planning decisions & incentives
🎄pools developer funds for nature.
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At Somerset's executive meeting on Monday, budget proposals for 2025-26 revealed a gap of £53.8m after taking into account the proposed savings of almost £44m. Approximately £34m is set to be saved through their workforce reduction programme. 2/2