Locals from Grade Ruan are a step closer to delivering much needed affordable housing for their community, themselves.

Council Planners have given the Grade Ruan Community Land Trust the go ahead for 6 affordable homes to be built on a site on the edge of Ruan Minor village.

We advised the Trust on how it could best tackle the problem of providing quality affordable family homes in an area on the Lizard Peninsula where locals are priced out of the market.

Paul Collins is Chairman of the Grade Ruan Community Land Trust he says: “We can at last see the way to a start of building later this year. It is a truly community-led project, run by locals for locals. It will be good to see part of the need for proper local housing being met.”

The land was acquired from the family of local farmer Nigel Green. Mr Green was initially part of the housing working party and was acutely aware of the need for affordable housing in an area dominated by second homes.

Nigel says: “I’m delighted to have played a part in providing homes in perpetuity for local people and helping the future of the whole village community.

There are a lot of holiday homes in the area. In Cadgwith half the properties in the valley are empty in the winter.

People I’ve known all my life are being forced to move further and further away. This project will help families to be able to stay living locally.”

Building the homes using the Community Land Trust’s unique development model means they are guaranteed to stay in the hands of local people forever.”

Our Director, Andrew George said, “We’re proud to be part of another good news development and warmly congratulate Grade Ruan CLT on navigating this project to its imminent start on site. This is indeed a daunting undertaking for a small voluntary organisation, but Cornwall CLT has successfully delivered 23 projects already and will make sure that Ruan Minor gets the affordable homes it needs and deserves.”