A public letter from Chair Edward Baines
The generosity of Mr and Mrs Badley in allowing the proceeds of the recent sale of the late Ted Toon’s orchard to support the provision of affordable housing for young people in the Uppingham area is an exciting development.
Mr Badley was Ted Toon’s last apprentice and, as his beneficiary, wished to develop the orchard site for affordable housing. With this in mind the UHCLT was formed as an offshoot of Uppingham First. Its Trustees wished to make the term ‘affordable’ meaningful and worked on the presumption of 70% of market value, not the national guideline of 80%.
It is now hoped that, in cooperation with local landowners and developers, new suitable sites may be forthcoming. The Trustees have put in place the necessary paperwork to further develop the CLT and feel that there could be no more fitting tribute to the late Ted Toon who has done so much for Uppingham.
The Trustees would also like to encourage any potential benefactors to contribute or add to the funds already raised by the sale of the orchard. Any potential benefactors should contact The Society’s and UF’s Secretary Ron Simpson BEM on 07710 328469 Email: rons@clara.net who would also be pleased to answer any queries.