Skip navigation

Report on Transforming Management of Large Housing-led Sites in England and Europe

New Report: Rethinking Housing Development through Community-Led Place Stewardship (January 2025)

In collaboration with the Community Land Trust Network (England & Wales) and Dark Matter Labs, this research highlights a transformative, democratic alternative to private management companies for housing developments.

Why it matters?

87% of large new housing developments in the UK rely on private management companies. These arrangements often provide poor value for money and lack accountability—a concern highlighted in a damning report by the UK’s Competition and Market Authority. This research shows that a community-led stewardship model via community land trusts offers a proven, democratic, not-for-profit alternative that could be rolled out by industry and local government today, also reducing opposition to large-scale house building.

The report showcases:

  • Five trailblazing case studies from across the UK where communities have successfully shaped, owned, and stewarded large-scale housing developments.
  • Practical scenarios for local councils, developers, and communities to adopt this approach.
  • Lessons from wider Europe, where stewardship issues remain a challenge but where less privatized models and the adoption of community-led models are more common.

Read more: https://www.clteurope.org/newsandinsights/large-sites

Research Europe Report
back to top