Aster Group partners with South Molton CLT to deliver 40 affordable homes for the local community

Construction is now underway on 40 affordable homes being delivered by award-winning local housing association Aster Group in partnership with South Molton Community Land Trust (CLT). The CLT was formed by local residents to create affordable, secure homes for people with a strong connection to the area.

Spindle Rise, located off Nadder Lane, will comprise of 40 homes, including four maisonettes and a mix of houses. All of the homes - 14 one-bedroom, 14 two-bedroom, 10 three-bedroom, and two four-bedroom properties - will be for social rent, the cheapest form of rent available. Each home will come with a range of sustainable features including heat source air pumps and photovoltaic panels.

Providing residents with opportunities and resources to enjoy the outdoors, the development will include a dedicated play area and a football pitch. To further enhance wildlife and nature (biodiversity net gain), it will also feature a wildflower meadow, aquatic planting, and orchard trees.

Val Schenn from South Molton CLT said: “Empowering the local community to lead the CLT development process ensures that these new homes will permanently provide secure, long-term sustainable, and energy-efficient homes, with affordable social rents for those on low incomes.

“This particular community-driven approach by the South Molton CLT provides those with a 10-year connection to the town the opportunity to keep close to their family, local jobs, key workers and community area support teams and networks, aiming to keep the community together.

“It’s the first project of its kind for South Molton and we are super excited to be paving the way for future projects by the community for the community.”

CLTs, which are a form of community-led housing, are set up and run by people within their local communities to develop and manage homes as well as other assets.

Commenting on the impact the new homes will make to the South Molton community, Aster Group Chief Investment Officer Amanda Williams said: “Spindle Rise will be the biggest CLT scheme we’ve delivered to date. The combination of social rent and sustainable features will make these 40 homes genuinely affordable for the new residents.

“Devon is truly embracing the CLT movement, clearly recognising the value of a community-led housing model that delivers affordable homes in an area significantly affected by rising rental and house prices.”

Working with CLTs is part of North Devon Council's objective to tackle the housing crisis in the district through a number of measures, including looking at how to resource the delivery of affordable housing via community-led housing models, both financially and in terms of staffing.

Councillor Graham Bell, Lead Member for Housing for North Devon Council, said: “Cllr Worden and the CLT team in South Molton deserve our utmost admiration for what they have done. Once again showing that with a lot of perseverance and a little luck, a community can achieve something spectacular.”

Councillor David Worden, Chair of North Devon Council, said: “We are excited and proud to be working with Aster Group to provide badly needed social rented accommodation for the local people of South Molton. After much hard work, our dream should become a reality by the end of next year and I hope it will spur other CLTs to do something similar in their areas to assist hard working local families.”

The new homes, which are forecast for completion at the end of 2027, will be built with funding from Homes England, the government’s housing agency’s Affordable Housing Programme. The project has been brought to life through a strong partnership approach, with support from Middlemarch Community Led Housing CIC, Trewin Architects, JRC Consulting Engineers, Pearce Construction and ecologist GE Consulting, whose combined expertise has helped turn the CLTs vision into a reality.

Potential residents must have both a local connection and an identified housing need and be registered with Devon Home Choice. Priority will be given to households where at least one adult has lived in the area continuously for 10 years within the 15 years immediately prior to occupation.