|
CAF Venturesome fund launch
for community groups
|
|
|
CAF Venturesome have announced that their Community Led Housing Fund, a successor to their CLT Funds, is now open for applications.
Their new fund is now able to support all forms of community-led housing schemes across the UK with loans, standby facilities and grants at every stage of your project. Further details can be found here.
|
|
|
Survey invitation from
London School of Economics researcher
|
|
|
Survey: Can community-led housing tackle loneliness?
Can you contribute to the evidence about the benefits of community-led housing? Researchers are reaching out to anyone who
- currently lives in any form of community-led housing
- has ever lived in community-led housing—even if they don’t any more
- is involved with a CLH group but doesn’t live there
- used to be involved with a CLH group—even if they aren’t any more.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has commissioned research into whether community-led housing (CLH) plays a role in combating loneliness.
As part of this research, a team from the London School of Economics and the universities of Bristol, Lancaster and Northumbria is conducting an online survey of individuals involved in CLH, which will gather information about how residents and members interact, and about respondents’ experience of neighbourliness and loneliness.
Findings will feed into decisions about whether and how central government should support community-led housing. This is a unique opportunity to improve government understanding of these housing alternative models, and we encourage everyone who is eligible to take part.
You can take the survey, and read more details about the research, here: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lselondon/CLH/
|
|
All Systems go for Bridport Cohousing - Champagne Corks Are Popping!
It all started back in 2008 when the idea of building a cohousing scheme for Bridport came into being and a group of local people from the town got together to hatch a plan and with the encouragement of West Dorset District Council (now Dorset Council), Oliver Letwin, (local MP) and a small group of business professionals. It took several more years for the concept of building much needed affordable housing for people born and raised in an area where house prices had been forced out of their hands, and the idea of becoming a Community Land Trust took root.
Bridport Cohousing, with the support of Dorset Council, Homes England and their partner housing association, Bournemouth Churches is now set to build 53 all affordable eco homes - the largest cohousing project of its kind in the UK. Dorset Council Portfolio Holder Housing and Community Safety officer Cllr. Graham Carr-Jones praised the foresight of the Bridport group for setting up a community land trust to get the project off the ground and for raising £250,000 from community loans to buy the site.
“This is seen as an innovative approach…it is a ground-breaking development. Once again, this is Dorset leading the way,” he told a recent cabinet meeting.
The eleven year journey has not been easy. As with most community-led projects there was a huge amount of work to be done to navigate the planning system and to get funding into place before anything could be built. The members have been within reach of getting their homes built several times, only for delays to dash their hopes, but their resilience and the indefatigable perseverance of their professional advisor, Charles Couzens of EcosMcLean has finally enabled a successful outcome.
Because of the timing, they were able to take advantage of grant funding available from the government. Dorset Council agreed to enter into a contract with Homes England for a grant towards the infrastructure costs of the project. [A grant had earlier been given towards the land purchase] and a grant from Homes England has now been paid directly to their partner housing association, Bournemouth Churches, who will soon instruct local builder CG Fry to start infrastructure work on the site.
Speaking about the project Growth Manager Helen Bone from Homes England stated:
‘’We’re really pleased to be able to support this scheme. It’s been great to see how the community has come together to take the lead and progress this development. Community Housing offers a way for local people to take an active role in shaping their communities, and this scheme is a great example of this.”
Twenty six of the 1bed flats and 2,3 and 4 bedroom houses will be for social rent through the housing association. Twenty seven of them will be of leasehold purchase either at 80% of market value or through Help To Buy South, and available from 25% - 75% market value. Bridport Cohousing CLT is the freeholder of the land and, because the highest rate of purchasing a home is 80% and there is no ‘right to buy’ on the rented homes, this will ensure affordability for generations to come.
The build will be to AECB Silver Standard (almost Passivhaus), highly insulated and with solar panels linked into an on site microgrid with batteries, giving low priced energy to this all electric site. As with most cohousing projects there will be a common house providing shared resources such as a dining and socialising space with kitchen, children’s playroom, office space and laundry facilities and the residents here are also extremely fortunate to have a two acre green space for food growing and leisure activities. Parking around the perimeter of the development will be made available to residents to help keep the main streets car free, providing safe space for children to play in.
|
|
Bridport Cohousing has a Local Lettings Policy in place which ensures that the homes will be allocated fairly and transparently with an eye on diversity and being local to the area. Off-plan sales of the leasehold properties is being taken up at the present time and the rental properties will be advertised through Dorset Homechoice in due course.
One of the benefits of the scheme having taken so long is that it has enabled a strong bond to grow between members, some of whom have been there from the start. There is a robust membership process and regular ‘’Meet The Neighbours’’ events are held most weeks in and around the town. These can be walks or sessions in local cafes or pubs, which enable curious enquirers, potential new members and established members to meet up, ask questions and get to know each other, ensuring a high level of mutual trust and understanding even before they move onto their site, which will be called ‘’Hazelmead.’’
|
|
One of Bridport Cohousing’s newer members George Gotts, who with husband Stuart and daughters Lorelei and Cicely are hoping to buy a 3 bed house with Help to Buy says
“ The Co housing Project has given me and my family a tangible sense of hope for a sustainable ( secure, ecological and affordable) future in Bridport, the town we live, work and raise our family. I have found the community warm, welcoming and respectful of all our varying needs and desires for the future. I look forward to my children having both freedom and a voice in the way they live and to find a supportive and actively engaging home which we all invest ourselves in.”
That just about sums it up!!
|
|
|
Advice on communication from
|
|
|
Illustration by Cannock Miller Emma Sutherland
|
|
Getting on with your neighbours should matter to cohousing groups - after all we are trying to create intentional communities that are not cut off from their wider environment. So getting off to the right start with the people who live near your site is crucial.
When we bought our site at Cannock Mill we were aware that our development would be a matter of local concern. Why shouldn’t it be? The situation is a green wooded corridor in an urban setting. There are houses backing onto parts of the site. This really was the Back Yard in nimBYism. The planning application by the previous owners had been hard fought, with many objections - but outline planning permission had been given.
Our first task was to convince our neighbours that what we wanted to build would be better for them and the community than the alternatives. We hand delivered letters saying a little about ourselves and invited them to a meeting at the local community centre. We were pleased with the turnout. Our home made cakes seemed popular and we got a chance to explain cohousing, Passivhaus design and what our completed project would look like. We felt reassured about the community we were joining and believe it broke the ice with our neighbours. At Colchester’s Planning Committee we received only one objection - from the owners of the nursery that operates from what was once outbuildings of the Mill. They had understandable concerns about access and parking and we were able make slight adjustments to our plans to address these matters.
Throughout the construction phase we delivered regular information and encouraged our neighbours to subscribe to our newsletter. We asked our main contractor to show consideration regarding noise and hours of work. The most obvious irritation was probably the parking of sub-contractors vans - all I can say is we did everything we could to avoid this inconvenience.
It was difficult to keep up the delivery of news as the project overran and the completion date seemed to be an elusive carrot dangled just out of reach. We didn’t want to moan about our contractors - but our neighbours needed to know that it would be finished and that nobody had gone bankrupt. Eventually, just before Christmas, we started to move in.
Our first event, on 18 January 2020, was an invite to the neighbours for a site visit and viewing of some of our houses. Afterwards there was tea and cake in the Mill. We had arrived in Colchester at last.
We would recommend that all cohousing groups develop a positive approach to communicating and interacting with their future neighbours. It can be fun and should be part of any successful development strategy.
Phil McGeevor
Chair, Cannock Mill Cohousing Colchester
Interested in joining us at Cannock Mill in future?
We are still open to enquiries and look forward to meeting people who decide to start on our membership process with a view to joining our waiting pool. So if you’d like to know more, don’t hesitate to get in touch - contact details are on our website where you can also sign up for our occasional newsletters: http://cannockmillcohousingcolchester.co.uk/
|
|
|
Recognition for Marmalade Lane
|
|
|
Congratulations to all at Marmalade Lane for making it into the RICS Social Impact Awards 2020 as one of the regional shortlist for East of England, for a project reflective of the outstanding work being done within the built environment.
|
|
Here we go again.
Building work is just starting on the second phase of developing Brincliffe House. In 32 weeks (fingers crossed), we will have built four large new houses.
|
|
|
There will be three new townhouses adjacent to Brincliffe House itself and a Lodge House at the Brincliffe Crescent entrance. Starting with a disused office building in 2015 we will have created 16 rather special cohousing units by the end of 2020.
|
|
|
We hope that the finished main building will have a distinctive ‘campus’ feel to it. Perhaps it will look something like this artist’s illustration?
|
|
Just when our cohousing community is starting to feel quite settled and a whole range of routines are being established the builders have arrived. Dumper trucks roam the land and our lives will now have to fit around stone, brick and cement deliveries as well as the coming and going of builders and their mates.
No need to feel sorry for us though. We have turned out to be a resilient and resourceful community and are steeled to the forthcoming disruption in the certainty that the end result will be worth all the temporary inconveniences.
Do you want to join us? We have one lovely three bedroomed flat available after the end of the building works, probably late 2020 or early in 2021. You can find out about the available unit if you visit our website www.onthebrink.community If you want to express an interest in becoming a member email us otbcohousing@gmail.com
We are well aware that all the progress we have made has only been possible because of the external financial support we have been getting from a number of like-minded people. So if you want to support us or if you know other people who might want to invest their money with us please ask them to get in touch with me directly tom.heller1@gmail.com The deal is the same as before – external supporters can choose an interest rate up to 3% per annum and this will be returned at the end of the build period when members sell their own houses and move in here. You can remind potential investors that interest rates have fallen elsewhere so perhaps our offer is now especially attractive. More details on our website – or I am always happy to respond to questions.
Tom Heller on behalf of On the Brink Cohousing Community
|
|
RUSS (Rural Urban Synthesis Society) - Workshop on Getting Started... setting up a group
The first module in a programme of 5, this workshop covers the actions required to set up a community-led housing (CLH) project from the very start.
Our workshops are informal and interactive, with practical exercises, and time to meet like-minded people, housing professionals and groups already involved in CLH projects.
When: Sat, 28 March 2020, 09:45 – 17:00
Where: RUSS Community Hub, 12 Church Grove, London, SE13 7UU
|
|
The UK Cohousing Trust's Maria Brenton is speaking at this event run by the Brighton Permaculture Trust.
When: Saturday 28 March 2020 , 10:30am to 5.00 pm
Where: Sallis Benney Theatre, University of Brighton, Grand Parade Building, Brighton BN2 0JY
Read more about the programme and book your ticket here
|
|
Kent Cohousing meet up
Kent Cohousing meet up this Saturday 7th March
We invite you to our first meet-up of 2020 where there will be a presentation about cohousing, discussions about opportunities in Kent and a shared lunch with members and guests.
Venue: Friends Meeting House, 6 The Friars, Canterbury CT1 2AS. From 11am - 2.30pm. Email info@kentcohousing.co.uk for more information.
|
|
Invitation to The Threshold Centre open days
We welcome visitors to our monthly
AFTERNOON TEAS - 1st Sat, 3:00 - 4:30 pm (exc. May and Nov in 2020)
OPEN MEDITATIONS - Monday after 1st Sat, 7.30pm
For further information
email info@thresholdcentre.org.uk
website www.thresholdcentre.org.uk
Tel: 01747 821929
|
|
Mayoral Candidate, Rory Stewart who is hoping to race in the Mayoral elections in London visited New Ground Cohousing in Chipping Barnet.
“If I were Mayor I really would like to give the opportunity for many more cohousing projects to emerge. In fact, I would use the land of the Mayor to provide the land on which wonderful projects like this can flourish because I cannot imagine a better way of living a dignified, independent life, alongside other caring people”
View the visit here
|
|
|
Cohousing groups represented in the
National Design Guide
|
|
|
Marmalade Lane and New Ground are pictorially shown as good examples in the new National Design Guide.
|
|
|
There is also reference at point 17 about the importance of co-creation and co-design by communities, and at point 18, "...This is leading to new lifestyles and new models of home ownership. It includes more communal forms of living, such as cohousing". All things to be considered when making your motivations and planning applications.
|
|
Don’t forget to send us your news, events, tips or feedback about life in your cohousing that we can share to encourage others. That’s what the UK Cohousing Network is all about! Our newsletter goes out the first Wednesday of every month so please email through to us in advance at office@cohousing.org.uk and try to include images or links to video if you can.
Got questions about cohousing? You can contact us at office@cohousing.org.uk or use the resources available below:
|
|
|
|
|
