Beer Community Land Trust (CLT) was established in 2013 to facilitate the development of affordable housing at 80% of the prevailing market prices for local people.

 

Its first project was to provide seven affordable homes in the village, and this developed very quickly and efficiently using innovative funding via loans, grants and donations:

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• £1million loan from East Devon District Council (EDDC)

• £200,000 in grants from the Homes and Communities Agency (originally £259,000 but reduced to £200,000 when policy changed)

• £4,000 from local donations

• £2,500 from the CLT Network

• £1,000 from Devon County Council

• £200 prize money from Devon Rural Housing Awards

• £140 and rising from membership fees.

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The Chair of Beer CLT, Councillor Geoff Pook, made the provision of affordable homes one of his top priorities after joining EDDC and was instrumental in setting up the Beer CLT.  This was recognised in the 2014 Devon Rural Housing Awards where the project was awarded Highly Commended in the Outstanding Community Contribution category.  Geoff Pook said, "While we appreciate that Beer is a tourist destination and that tourist income is very important to the village, retaining houses for full-time occupancy by locals is just as important."

 

​Beer CLT completed its first set of new homes in January 2015, and it has now begun its second project to deliver a further seven affordable homes in the village. 

 

Beer CLT today has assets worth approximately £1 million, and its second project will result in it having further assets worth an additional £1 million.