Stokes Croft Land Trust

The Stokes Croft Land Trust

Community action against gentrification

written by Rhian Grant

‘Regeneration’. ‘Development’. Don’t we want this for our community? But there are important questions to ask first. Who makes decisions about developments? When land and property is owned by corporate developers and distant landlords, with no ties to the area and no interest in the local community, who benefits?

The Stokes Croft Land Trust (SCLT) intends to bring parts of Stokes Croft under community ownership, to steward the buildings; support local economic activity & employment; continue offering inexpensive workspace for local artists, musicians, designers, and craftspeople; and promote local people’s engagement with Stokes Croft’s future.

To encourage local participation, the SCLT made a special community share offer of 10 shares for £10.00 to residents. Director Keith Cowling says this is important because, “Stokes Croft is an area of small businesses, cafés, venues, artists, and those people have turned the Croft into what it is over the past 20 years. But almost none of them are owner occupied. So, when the land is traded, and speculation occurs, they will all be displaced. All the people who created all the value, all the art, all the music, all the footfall, will lose everything they’ve created. That’s why it’s important to give them a tool for hanging on to the value of what their work has produced.” The SCLT directors are clear that the share offer is not a business investment, since the goal of the land trust is stewardship, not speculation. But since the SCLT is getting a cheap deal on the land, Cowling points out that “this is a pretty safe share offer, as community share offers go.”

SCLT operates on a democratic, one member, one vote system. So, no matter how many shares a member has, whether 10 or 10,000, they get an equal vote, and any member can stand for election to the board. Directors are volunteers, and they stand down every three years. As Cowling says, “All members are treated the same whether they are corporate or individual members. It’s good for us to have a big influx of new members because we’ll benefit from their energy and ideas.” So, if you don’t like the way the SCLT is being run, the best way to change it is to get involved!

The roots of the Community Land Trust (CLT) go back to the civil rights movement in the USA, when Black Americans, including Slater King and Bob Swann, developed CLTs to build economic and residential independence. And the model of community ownership is gaining popularity in the UK today. Here in Bristol, the Cube Cinema Complex was purchased with community donations in 2011; and in 2018, the Exchange in Old Market raised £250,000 in community shares to secure their future.

Learn more on SCLT’s website and socials at: stokescroftlandtrust.org/about/ https://twitter.com/CroftTrust https://www.facebook.com/stokescroftland