Glebe land and affordable housing - online event

Glebe Meadow, Roxwell. Credit - Matt Pereira Photography

Join us at 6pm on Weds 24th September for the termly 'Coming Home' event on the Church of England's response to the housing crisis.

The theme is Glebe Land and Affordable Housing: Opportunities and Challenges

The speakers include:

Kate Cortez, Deputy Diocesan Secretary, Truro diocese
Laura Atkinson, Senior Rural Housing Enabler & Community Led Housing Advisor, Rural Community Council of Essex
Sarah Outram, Partner in VWV Law Firm
Bishop Hugh Nelson, Bishop-elect of Worcester
Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani, lead bishop for housing

Glebe land is land owned by the Church of England, held in trust by Diocesan Boards of Finance (DBFs), and used to generate income to pay clergy stipends. Most is agricultural, but some is developable, and DBFs may aspire to provide some affordable homes on their land to help alleviate the housing crisis. What can we learn from where this has been done successfully?

Using glebe land for affordable housing faces financial, legal, and community challenges. As registered charities, DBFs are legally required to maximise returns from their assets. If they want to help provide affordable homes on glebe land, rather than market housing, the financial return would be lower. How can this tension be navigated?

Then the disposal of glebe land is governed by the Church Property Measure 2018. This requires specific consents and procedures, which add legal complexity and time to the development process.

And what if some local people want to see more affordable homes made available, but others vociferously oppose housebuilding on the church’s land? How can these hurdles be overcome?

Join us on 24th September to explore the potential and pitfalls of glebe land development. Register here for free.