Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Community-led Housing

Monday 13 October 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Gareth Thomas asked about the Redwood Housing Co-operative in the OXO Tower, highlighting its benefits as a tenant-run cooperative with low rents and scenic views.
  • Jess Brown-Fuller inquired about high-density housing schemes in rural areas lacking local support and infrastructure, emphasizing the benefits of community land trusts like the Westbourne Land Trust.
  • The Minister acknowledged the importance of community land trusts and tenant cooperatives, noting efforts to support them through legislative and investment measures.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Gareth Thomas Labour (Co-op) Harrow West
Housing
Context

The MP references Redwood Housing Co-operative, a five-floor social housing development in central London known for its tenant-run management and low rents.

Question

Redwood Housing Co-operative spans five floors of social housing in the iconic OXO Tower on the south bank of the River Thames. Given that Redwood is run by its tenants, charges some of the lowest rents in central London and offers some of the best views, should not every community have a Redwood?

Answer from The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)

My hon. Friend has long championed co-operatives, and I recognise his commitment to expanding co-ops in London and across the country. With that example, he draws our attention to the benefits that they can provide. We are considering opportunities to legislate to establish a legal framework for a co-operative housing tenure, which would help formalise the rights and responsibilities of both co-operatives and their tenants, and make co-operative housing a more attractive option.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not directly commit to expanding similar models but indicated ongoing consideration of legislative support for co-op housing tenure.

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Q2 Jess Brown-Fuller Lib Dem Chichester
Housing
Context

The MP describes the challenges faced by community land trusts in her constituency due to a lack of available land, leading to high-density schemes that are unpopular locally.

Question

In my Chichester constituency, a lack of available land drives high-density schemes in rural villages that lack the necessary infrastructure, and the schemes quickly become unpopular locally. Community land trusts such as the Westbourne Land Trust gain local support and deliver affordable homes, and that gives communities a real stake in that development. Does the Minister agree that community buy-in is essential if the Government are to reach their target for building homes? What steps are being taken to help community land trusts go from the planning phase to building homes?

Answer from The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)

The hon. Lady outlined another benefit of community land trusts: getting local buy-in. The availability of land is an issue for CLTs. I have already set out some of the ways that we are supporting them through new investment. As the Secretary of State said earlier, the new social and affordable housing programme will be designed with the flexibility necessary to support a greater diversity of social and affordable housing supply, including community-led housing.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific steps or mechanisms for supporting CLTs beyond planning but acknowledged existing investment and future programme design considerations.

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