Lindy Morgan and is the regeneration team leader at the Southmead Development Trust, which supports communities in the Southmead area of North Bristol.
On September 20, 2019, the Trust submitted a planning application for phase one of their “master plan”, which will deliver 120 new homes, community facilities and improved public open space.
What’s the point of the project?
It was started in 2018 – the community had created a community plan addressing themes in the area, one was the location of the scheme, antisocial behaviour, down at heel shops and services, inability for local people to stay local, and older people unable to downsize.
The community plan became the basis for a master plan, addressing these issues and providing a sustainable income for youth and community workers.
It’s a long term aspiration, for people who don’t know housing – if you can start to make income in year 30 you’ve done well.
When was the moment you decided to do this?
I went through homelessness at 25 and ended up being housed in the worst estate.
I started up a tenants association, became the local chair of Citizens Advice, and went back into education as a mature student and then I did a masters in housing and housing just got me, really.
I’ve worked for local authorities and housing associations and at the same time I ran a bar and restaurant on the river for some time.
Then I sold that and decided to come back in full time, community-led housing really appealed because it’s development, but meaningful.
It was a nice marriage. When I looked at the job description I thought, “That’s tough!” But it was worthwhile giving it a shot.
Had an interesting evening hearing what young people in Southmead think about the future plans for Glencoyne Square – and what they would like it to look like! Got some young architects in the making I believe…! Thanks for hosting us @SouthmeadYouthC https://t.co/sY3tGgXltn Southmead Dev Trust (@SouthmeadDT) March 19, 2019
How has it gone?
The master plan was signed off with the community last October. We appointed the same architect to do the next phase to detailed planning permission in mid- to late-September.
We selected and appointed a contractor who is bankrolling £250,000 of the predevelopment cost, alongside £100,000 from Power to Change and £176,000 from Homes England. Bristol County Council has underwritten these costs so if we don’t get planning they will pay the aborted costs. But this is a £24 million scheme – we’re doing it on a shoestring.
What’s been your proudest moment so far?
You don’t really stop to think about it. You’re problem solving and trying to be creative all the time.
The thing I am pleased with is finding solutions. It’s really difficult, but there is an element of just having to believe.
I have good connections, the builder has been really good, they selected the right one. I am also not averse to taking risks and that risk is personal. I’m calling on every favour I can to make it happen and I don’t want to let those people down.
Looking back on yesterday’s visit by Housing Minister @KitMalthouse highlighting where new homes are being built or are planned.
Sharing our region’s growing reputation for innovative, inclusive, green sustainable housing developments.🏘️🏡
Info: https://t.co/CErkSpvhaA#housing pic.twitter.com/F2iNN9I8ba— West of England Combined Authority (@WestofEnglandCA) February 1, 2019
What’s been hardest?
The system is hard, not the people.
Community-led housing is a relatively new initiative. Councils lack the governance around decision-making for it. There’s no precedent.
While it’s possible to get revenue funding for pre-development, there’s virtually no capital funding to build community-led housing. Homes England funding ends in March 2020, which is too soon for us. Bristol City Council have a small pot. And that’s it.
We’ll be lucky to get 50 per cent grant funding and the rest has to come from private lenders. Development finance is expensive. Brexit has shaken lenders – they look at co-housing as speculative sale. Homes England are very risk averse.
There’s a lot more grant funding from Homes England if we become a housing provider, which we don’t want to do: we are a community anchor organisation. This is a regeneration project, so we’re putting to them, why don’t you fund us?
I wrote to Nick Walkey, chief executive of Homes England, saying give us a 60 per cent grant, with another 30 per cent of that an equity stake that we will pay back, and we will get loans for 10 percent. But this is new ground for Homes England and therefore it’s difficult to get decisions.
The system is hard, not the people.
Lindy Morgan
The city council is really trying. It has appointed a community-led housing person on a contract who has helped us get the land valued for £1.
What drives you when it gets hard?
The local people. They have been doing it for years.
We have so many good local activists, passionate, informed, engaged, sensible – they are pragmatic people. We have pushed aspiration up and that has an impact on other people. The people on the regeneration board and the trustees feed into other groups.
Where has funding come from for your project?
The Housing Association will sign up to a £24 million project if the funding for the library and the health centre is in place – they have a separate agreement with those people. Then Southmead Development Trust will have an agreement with the housing association to buy 33 homes on completion.
It’s three years away from now, giving us the chance to get funding in order. We are planning on affordable housing funding from Homes England and Bristol City Council. The worst case scenario is we can’t access funding but we would have the ground rent, because we have the freehold, which would secure is £8-9,000 a year. But that would be disappointing.
Which funders have been most helpful and why?
The revenue funding is coming from Power to Change and Homes England. Power to Change have been the easiest to deal with in terms of having a local person.
Homes England were trickier, they took a lot longer to accept the bid. The risk we took was we carried on with the programme anyway.
Will Brexit affect what you are doing?
It may affect our ability to borrow at reasonable rates if the private lending sector becomes more risk averse.
If it’s really bad, how much money will go into affordable housing? Our pot ends in March 2020. The market as far as sale housing drops. We’re doing some shared ownership to convert those to rent if we can’t sell: if people don’t have confidence.
What would you say to someone looking to do something similar?
Community-led housing is not a panacea to housing issues. Think long and hard if it’s the best way to achieve your objectives.
Look at the different ways your objectives can be achieved and if you have decided on housing, remember how long it takes to achieve!
