History of Timber Hill Scheme - Our First Project

Early in 2014, Lyme Regis Community Land Trust were interested in several possible sites where affordable homes could be built. Working in partnership with Wessex Community Land Trust Project, and in consultation with local bodies including the Town and District Councils, much preliminary work had already taken place. A site at Timber Hill looked very promising, and in due course an agreement was reached with the landowner.

This site was outside the normal planning zone for housing, but qualified as an “exception site”, meaning that although the land could not be sold to a developer for market rate housing, it could be sold to a CLT for affordable housing. The photos show the area of Lyme Regis where the site is located, and it consists of the small triangular field with a portion of the rectangular field below it.

The CLT had much work to do: it obtained a grant from the Homes and Communities Agency for pre planning tasks; selected Yarlington Housing Group as the housing association to take the project forward, and Boon Brown as the architects; commissioned surveys of the topography and ecology, amongst others; addressed the Town Council, and organised public meetings and newspaper publicity to inform the community of its progress.

Outline Planning Permission was applied for in December 2014. This was to build a mix of 1, 2 and 3 bed homes for affordable rent to people who satisfied the necessary criteria - that is having a family or employment link to Lyme Regis. Yarlington Housing Group would manage and maintain the homes on a long term lease from the CLT. Fifteen homes in all.

Mayor Sally Holman addressing the Public Meeting in October 2014 - in the background the four CLT Board members: Rob McLaughlin, Keith Jenkin, Brian Rattenbury, Denis Yell

The Outline Planning Application was recommended for refusal by West Dorset District Council on environmental grounds, so when it came before their Development Committee on April 16th, a delegation of supporters from the Lyme community, Yarlington, Boon Brown, the Town Council and Wessex CLT Project spoke in its favour. The Committee then agreed to accept the plans. However, OPA still had to be granted, and for this a substantial number of documents had to be prepared

History of Timber Hill Scheme - Our First Projectand submitted to the District Council. These included final detailed plans and a Section 106 document.

Visiting the Timber Hill site – Paul Damen and Louise Lote (Yarlington), Sarah Elliott (HCA), Keith and Lorna Jenkin (Lyme CLT) Steve Watson (Wessex CLT Project) and Rob McLaughlin (Lyme CLT). Not in photo – taking the picture, Chairman of CLT Denis Yell.

12th May 2015

A Drop In session was organised meanwhile to show the community the latest plans. The overwhelming majority of those who attended the drop-in session were positive about the designs and the location of the scheme; the main area of interest was about how Lyme people could get registered on the housing list that will be used to allocate homes.

Lorna Jenkin (CLT Secretary) discussing the proposed scheme with local resident and Town Councillor Sheryl Reynolds.

12th May 2015

The Outline Planning Permission was eventually approved in February 2016, and the s106 agreed; yet “reserved matters” still had to be presented before Full Planning Permission could be granted. However, this was not considered to be a problem, and all were optimistic that the scheme was going to become a reality

The final approval at last came in July 2016. This meant that all of the final legalities could be sorted out, for example leases to be signed etc, and Yarlington could instruct the contractor, CG Fry and Son, to begin work.

On Monday 12th September, the contractor took possession of the site, and within weeks, large machines were clearing the site.

The completion of the homes is scheduled for August to December 2017. Before that time, the CLT and Yarlington will be considering issues relating to the allocations process, and keeping the community informed of progress.

See our News pages for the latest developments in this project, and our past News Pages for a more detailed chronology.

History of Timber Hill Scheme - Our First ProjectThese views show development at the site on Thursday 29th September 2016

The photo below, courtesy of Yarlington Housing Group, shows the site being prepared in early October 2016