The first grant of £5,000 to help communities develop affordable homes in the borough of Great Yarmouth has been handed out.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council has awarded £5,000 to support the newly-formed Lothingland Community Land Trust, which will help it explore ideas for community-led housing with a special advisor, and to develop their initial ideas into investment-ready business plans.

Grants of up to £5,000 are available from a government-funded community-led housing grant scheme, which supports groups in the borough, including Community Land Trusts, that are interested in developing affordable homes for their community.

Community Land Trusts (CLTs) are a form of community-led housing set up and run by local people to develop and manage homes as well as other assets important to them.

The main aim is to ensure homes are genuinely affordable, based on what people actually earn in their area, not just for now but for every future occupier.

Emma Flaxman-Taylor, vice chairman of the council’s housing and neighbourhoods committee, presented the cheque to Lothingland Community Land Trust, which covers Belton, Browston, Burgh Castle, Fritton and St Olaves.

She said: “Lothingland is the first CLT we’ve helped to become formally established in the borough, and we’re really pleased to hand them this grant, which will be extra assistance as they explore their ideas in more detail for community-led affordable housing. We’d like to hear from any other people who are interested in setting up a trust for their area, and we’d also like to see grant applications from further groups.”

Adrian Myers, chairman of Lothingland CLT, said: “The granting of this cheque has enabled us to contract solicitors to create the legal identity of the trust and its operating parameters. The grant has allowed us to employ a website designer, and print stationery, all of which is vital in supporting the trust’s aims of providing rentable social housing for the residents of the five villages.”

Two further CLTs, Flegg CLT and Hopton CLT, have also been awarded the initial £5,000 grant to assist them in becoming legal entities.

The application form for the Community-led Housing Grant Scheme is available by calling Debbie Wildridge on 07703 814581. Further information is available at www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk/community-housing-fund