.The Affordable Housing Project has raised many questions, some of which will have been answered elsewhere on this website.  It is not possible to answer all the questions that parishioners may have because not all of the necessary information is not available yet.  In this section, answers will be provided to questions commonly asked.  As time goes, further questions (and answers) will be added with the objective of keeping interested parties as informed as possible.  If you would like to see a question addressed, let one of those on the Management Board know or send an e-mail to affordablehousing@stokeclimslandparish.org   We will get a reply to you as soon as we can.

You can find answers to the following questions below:

Question 1: Why has the project got a self-appointed team and is not being managed by the Parish Council?  

Question 2:   Are we stuck with a self appointed management team for the duration of the project?  

Question 3:  I've heard that there will be 16 houses built.  Where does this figure come from?  

Question 4:  How is the need for affordable housing going to be assessed?

Question 5:  I regularly hear of problems connected to new housing in both Kelly Bray and Callington, will these problems be imported into Stoke Climsland?  

Question 6:  Does any member of the current team stand to gain from involvement with the Affordable Housing Project?

Question 7:   On the face of it 16 houses maximum seems manageable in our Parish.  Is there any guarantee that this number won't be exceeded.

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Question 1: Why has the project got a self-appointed team and is not being managed by the Parish Council?

Answer 1: The make up of Community Land Trust management teams allows for a maximum of 30% of its members to be involved with National/Local Government. The 3 founding members of The Team spent 6 months researching the possibilities for Affordable Housing within the parish and, as soon as there was some possibility of success, the Chairman of The Parish Council was invited to join The Team.   He has been a full member of The Team since 25.7.07

Question 2:   Are we stuck with a self appointed management team for the duration of the project?

Answer 2:  No.  The present team will be expanded by up to 3 additional members who are now being sought via adverts in the Post Office and March edition of The Old School News.  Collectively the team members  will form the Board of The Company Ltd by Guarantee ( a not for profit company) to be incorporated as The Stoke Climsland Community Land Trust Ltd.(March/April 2008) .  One year after incorporation, the entire board will resign: those who wish to continue will be subject to election alongside others proposed by the wider membership of The Stoke Climsland Community Land Trust (CLT).   It follows from this that from the start of Year 2 of the project, all members of The Board will have been elected.

Question 3:  I've heard that there will be 16 houses built.  Where does this figure come from?

Answer 3:  The maximum number of houses that can be built in a scheme such as this is 16.  THis was proposed by The District Council  as being realistic in terms of previous experience, the amount of “exception “ land that could be released and sewage treatment availability.   It is interesting to note that, in North Cornwall, houses in similar schemes to that proposed for Stoke Climsland , have been heavily oversubscribed in terms of potential buyers/renters.

Question 4:  How is the need for affordable housing going to be assessed?

Answer 4:  The scheme will not proceed unless the need for such housing has been unambiguously established.  So far, in response to  the initial public meeting and subsequent publicity, there have been many declarations of interest made to the project team members.  However, such declarations cannot take the place of an independent formal 'assessment of needs' survey.  This survey is being commissioned at the moment and details of it will be published at the appropriate time.

Question 5:  I regularly hear of problems connected to new housing in both Kelly Bray and Callington, will these problems be imported into Stoke Climsland?

Answer 5:  From conversations with The Callington Town Clerk, the only major problem they currently have is on an old established estate. There were early difficulties on a new estate that has a similar housing mix to Kyl Cober Parc, but is five times bigger.  These problems have largely been cleared up and this pioneering estate is regarded as having a very positive future.

In Stoke Climsland we do not anticipate such problems as we are :

(a) Talking about a maximum of 16 houses.

(b) Having very strict local criteria for applicants (see Eligibility and Allocation Section for more information on this)..

(c)  Entrusting rented houses to a carefully selected small, locally based, housing association. 

Question 6:  Does any member of the current team stand to gain from involvement with the Affordable Housing Project?  Does any member of the current team stand to gain from involvement with the Affordable Housing Project?

Answer 6:  No!  No member of the current team stands to gain anything financially from their involvement with the Project.  However, working as a team and achieving a worthwhile outcome is a rewarding experience in itself.  In this sense, the team members will gain something but it cannot be measured in financial terms.

Question 7:   On the face of it 16 houses maximum seems manageable in our Parish.  Is there any guarantee that this number won't be exceeded.

  Answer 7:  Maximum means what it says, no one at all can guarantee the future, but having a strong locally based Community Land Trust could be our insurance against pressure from outside to overbuild.