Arundel Community Land Trust
Arundel Community Land Trust on behalf of Arundel Gate partners: Arundel’s first new general needs social housing in 50 years.
Arundel Gate delivers 90 new homes, 27 of them affordable. The 20 Social Rent homes are the first new general-needs social housing in the town since the 1970s. The site allocation emerged through years of Neighbourhood Planning with 80% support at Referendum. Arundel Community Land Trust worked with partners to secure Local Lettings Agreements giving priority to people with local connections for the Social Rent and Shared Ownership homes. The CLT’s freehold ‘asset lock’ ensures the Social Rent homes remain for the community in perpetuity. More than half the 10 hectare site is given over to biodiverse open space, habitat creation and drainage features, achieving a biodiversity net gain score above 36. A new bridleway links the South Downs National Park to the River Arun. Land gifted to the Town Council through the scheme will be a community ‘Food Forest’ alongside a ‘Children’s Forest’ adjacent to an existing ‘Pocket Park’. The scheme demonstrates how sustained community involvement combined with supportive planning policy can turn a housing allocation into a lasting local asset. Enhancements to the Public Rights of Way network and pedestrian access points support walking and cycling beyond the estate, while four of the affordable units are built to Lifetime Homes wheelchair standards.
Nomination details
Why this matters
90 new homes, including 27 affordable homes on former lower grade agricultural land, with half of the 10 hectares devoted to more biodiverse open spaces, habitat creation, drainage features and enhancements to the Public Rights of Way network. Biodiversity net gain score of 36+. A new Public Right of Way connects the South Downs National Park to the River Arun Special Area of Conservation. New Greening Arundel community projects adjacent to the development will add additional biodiversity compared to previous agricultural use.
Impact
A partnership approach with strong community involvement has created a high-quality new housing scheme which adds positively to Arundel’s setting, brings ecological enhancements, and, provides long-term stewardship of this community led housing asset. In a town with above average house prices and rents, the project delivers in Arundel the first new general-needs social housing since the 1970s with a Local Lettings Plan to enable people with local connections remain in the community.
Inclusion and accessibility
- Enhancement to Public Rights of Way network
- Active Travel opportunities through the internal site design and 4 access points in addition to estate road access
- Highly inclusive community projects on adjacent land have arisen directly from opportunities provided by the development. The Section 106 Gifted Land is being developed by Arundel’s Green Team as ‘Food Forest’, and, a collaborative approach to finalising site boundaries in relation to the existing Pocket Park will become bring about a ‘Children’s Forest’
- 4 of the 27 affordable units are designed to M4(3) wheelchair user standard and 8 to M4(2).
