Author Archives: Tom Low

BBC Panorama visited Eastington

ECLT featured on national TV in October, as part of Panorama’s “Race to build 1.5 million homes” special report. Within the overall gloomy situation of the Housing Crisis, Eastington was portrayed as a positive example of how local initiative can be part of the solution.

Anita Rani and a crew from Attaboy TV spent a whole day filming in the village, focusing on the success of Fullers Close and taking a range of drone footage of the Homeground development.

Sally Antell, a resident of Fullers Close, welcomed Anita to her home. Sally spoke in the opening credits of the programme and then had a longer segment, explaining her journey from private rentals to her happy place.

Anita also interviewed Eastington CLT Treasurer Tom Low about how the Land Trust had gone about planning both projects and why it was important for local people to choose what they wanted.

The drone footage of Homeground featured throughout the programme, not least because it linked with a segment about factory-built timber framed houses, the other good news story.

You can see Panorama on I-Player and if you just want to see Eastington, we are on in the first minute (briefly) and the last 5 minutes – good news to finish the show!

A recent survey revealed that ECLT, with 54 affordable homes, is the 5^th most successful Land Trust out of more than 350 across England. No wonder the BBC and Attaboy TV researchers zoned in on our journey.

We thank everyone across the Parish who have contributed over several decades to achieve this, including all those taking part in village surveys and KER activities.

***  Don’t forget to complete your 2025 Housing Needs Survey ***

Homeground secured for homes to be built for local people

ECLT is pleased to report that it has now taken ownership of the Homeground site and Eastington can look forward to another development of affordable homes to be delivered by Spring 2026.

There will be 21 homes for Social Rent and 10 homes for Affordable Shared Ownership. All homes will be subject to the same Local Connection rules that applied in Fullers Close five years ago, when all 23 homes for Affordable Rent were tenanted by folks with a strong local connection to the parish.

There will be 1, 2 and 3 bed homes, as derived from the Housing Need Survey of 2019, in other words, what Eastington people said they needed most.

The 2019 Survey also highlighted a strong interest in Shared Ownership, a means by which people can part-purchase/part-rent homes, allowing for increasing percentages of purchase as these homeowners feel able.

ECLT and our partners Two Rivers Housing will be holding more Drop-ins at the Village Hall in the New Year to share knowledge on both the rented and shared ownership options.

Meanwhile, watch out for the contractors moving in, possibly before the end of November.

Photos of activity and news of Drop-ins will be available in the February 2025 edition of ECN but you can keep up with progress under the Project Two section of this website.

I am delighted to inform you that ECLT has now achieved Full Planning Permission for Project Two, as of 24^th January 2024.

Whilst this is a major stepping stone for Project Two, work cannot commence on building the scheme until a few more hurdles are negotiated.

Our Housing Association partners, Two Rivers, will now take on the main burden, tendering to a mix of local contractors and then securing the necessary grants from Homes England. In these times of uncertainty and inflation in the housebuilding sector, it’s not easy to predict timescales but with a fair wind, we could see spades in the ground by the end of 2024.

A fuller picture will be painted at the AGM on 29^th February, which is open to all members and indeed the public. 7.00pm for 7.15 at the Village Hall, agenda and annual accounts on this website, under “Docs and Links”

Tom Morrison, Chairman, February 2024

AGM to be held 29th February 2024 7.00pm

All ECLT Members are invited to attend the AGM, to be held in the Village Hall.

The AGM is also open to the public, although only Members may vote.

The Agenda will appear here soon.

The Externally Examined Accounts are available under “Docs & Links”

On 2nd February, the Sixth Annual General Meeting of ECLT Ltd was very well attended. Minutes can be read here: Minutes of Sixth AGM 02 02 2023

The meeting marked the retirement of Alan Brasier, who has served on the original Steering Group and then ECLT Ltd Board for nearly 10 years. Alan has also given generous help to Keep Eastington Rural over more than two decades. He is replaced by Sarah Underdown, who also has a KER background amongst other contributions to Parish activities.

Present for the meeting were nine of the original 23 members who gathered to initiate ECLT in October 2013. Membership has now reached 158, of whom 140 are “active”, in that they still live in, or have a strong family connection in the Traditional Hamlets of Eastington.

Chair Tom Morrison’s review of 2021-2022, as given to the AGM, is available here: ECLT Village – AGM 2023

Tom Low, acting Treasurer

Members of the public are invited to attend a display of plans and street scenes of Project Two on:

Thursday 24th March between 2.30 pm and 7.00pm

Coffees and teas served whilst you browse…………..

Our planning application was validated by Stroud DC on 21st January 2022, reference S.21/3014/FUL

click here to see all the details on the Stroud DC planning website

You can track progress on the Project Two pages