Building Stronger Communities Together: Base for Life Watchet at the CLT Networking Event

On Monday, 16th September, members of Base for Life Watchet joined around 25 other representatives from Community Land Trusts (CLTs) across North Devon and Somerset in Ilfracombe for an evening of networking and knowledge-sharing. The gathering provided a valuable opportunity for our team to connect with CLTs from across the region, including those in Parracombe, Georgeham Parish, Mortehoe & Woolacombe, South Molton, and Braunton, as well as the Lyn Community Development Trust.

The evening was relaxed but productive, with several shared challenges and insights emerging from the discussions. While every CLT faces the day-to-day technical tasks, such as:

- managing HMRC regulations

- working with architects to achieve the right vision for the community

- designing fair and effective housing allocation policies

- learning how to protect local wildlife, like bat populations

the bigger picture was never far from people’s minds. Themes that resonate with us at Base-for-Life Watchet were raised, including:

- how we can help shape a positive future for our community, particularly in areas like ours where opportunities are declining, and holiday lets are becoming more dominant

- how to keep housing at the forefront, even when there are other critical issues demanding attention

The sense of unity in the room was clear: we are stronger together. Creating locally led housing in communities like ours comes with its own set of challenges—lack of land being one that many of us share—but by working together and sharing our experiences, we can offer each other much-needed support and encouragement.

We’re grateful to all who took part and look forward to the next opportunity to collaborate and learn from each other.