History & Achievements

TANT has worked tirelessly and achieved a lot since it was formed 20 years ago.

TANT is born

January 2002

TANT created as an informal body by Leo Stevens, Laycock; Andrew Turner-Cross, Slindon; Peter Bate, Holnicote and Gillain Francis & Alan Lawrence, Mottisfont.

TANT meet with Lord Blakenham

July 2002

David Evans and David Riddle from the National Trust were appointed to liaise with TANT and then TANT met with Lord Blakenham to discuss the ongoing review of National Trust Governance including the Let Estate.

TANT officially recognised by the Trust

January 2004

TANT officially recognised by the National Trust and held its first inaugural meeting at the Manger Barn in Lacock – with coverage by the BBC News.

TANT and NT establish database

December 2004

TANT persuades the NT to establish how many properties it owns through a central database.

TANT propose tenants handbook

January 2005

TANT proposed the production of the very first Tenants Handbook and worked with the National Trust to achieve this.

Local tenant associations formed

July 2005

TANT starts to help local Tenant Associations to form across the country.

TANT campaigns for condition surveys

December 2006

TANT campaigns for the NT to carry out condition surveys on all its properties.

Tenants able to sit on council

January 2008

Parliamentary Statute came into force which allowed tenants to sit on the National Trust Council.

Tenant handbook launched

January 2009

The first Tenant Handbook was launched.

First tenant elected to council

January 2010

Cristina George, a long standing TANT committee member, blazed a trail by becoming the first ever tenant to be elected to the National Trust Council.

Tenant Custodian status agreed

July 2010

TANT was instrumental in changing tenant status to ‘Tenant Custodian’.

TANT on BBC’s “You & Yours”

November 2011

Here is a recording of a BBC consumer affairs programme called “You & Yours” on the 3rd of November 2011 between Chairman of TANT at the time Andew Turner-Cross and Patrick Begg the National Trust Director of Rural Enterprises.

Free membership for tenants

January 2012

TANT was instrumental in the decision to gift all National Trust tenants Tenant Custodian Membership which gave them free parking and free entrance to National Trust properties.

TANT made an appointing body

July 2012

TANT was made an appointing body to the National Trust Council meaning that TANT had an official voice and a seat for one of their committee members. Peter Bate was voted as TANT’s representative to the Council.

Cristina George re-elected

January 2013

Cristina George was re-elected to the National Trust Council.

Campaign for decent home standards

July 2013

TANT started to campaign for Decent Home Standards for National Trust tenants.

TANT proposes £75m improvement scheme

December 2014

TANT proposes a Let Estate (Houses and Cottages,)  improvement scheme with a budget of £75 million

Tenant handbook revised

January 2015

TANT once again worked closely with the National Trust in the creation of a revised Tenant Handbook and Tenant Complaint Procedure.

TANT secure regular funding

January 2016

TANT submitted a resolution to the National Trust AGM and secured regular funding thanks to the ongoing support of the National Trust membership. Cristina George was re-elected to the National Trust Council for a third and final term.

TANT on BBC’s Farming Today

October 2016

TANT’s Development Officer Peter Bate appears on the BBC’s Farming Today programme.

NT implements £49m improvement programme

December 2016

The NT implements a 5 year improvement programme indicating a budget of £49 million to be completed by 2021.

New TANT constitution voted in

January 2017

TANT reviewed, revised and re-wrote the Constitution and Code of Conduct to better reflect the changing shape of the organisation. The new constitution was voted in by our members on May 14th at our AGM in Studland.

TANT reapply for appointed body status

January 2018

As part of the National Trust’s reorganisation of the Council TANT reapplied for Appointed Body status and have been recommended to the membership by the National Trust.

National Trust agrees to remove MGR

March 2018

TANT was instrumental in policy change for all National Trust Long Leaseholders in the matter of Modern Ground Rent.

New TANT website goes live

May 2018

TANT commission a brand-new, modern website to better reflect the standing of the organisation and help attract new members.

TANT and NT agree joint approach on Law Commission leasehold reforms

September 2019

TANT reach an agreement with the National Trust that subject to the Law Commission reforms on leasehold being passed into law, long leaseholders will have the right to apply for 990-year extensions to their leases at a peppercorn rent.

TANT campaigns for no rent increases or evictions

December 2020

TANT campaigns successfully for no rent increases or evictions during the pandemic and throughout 2020 and 2021

NT confirms £79m improvement plan budget

December 2021

The NT confirms the Let Estate Improvement plan budget is now £79 million and completion is delayed to 2022.