There are two partner organisations. Synergy Housing Group, the largest housing association in Dorset, who were the development partner for the Threshold Cohousing Centre in North Dorset. Also Ecos Trust, a leading environmental education charity in the South West, who already have experience with creating eco-housing schemes, and working with community-led projects.

Positive exploratory meetings have been held with West Dorset District Council, and potential sites have been identified. The aim is to submit a planning application for the project in 2011.

Aims of Bridport Cohousing

The major aims of the project are:

Sustainability: through shared resources: car pooling, market garden, green energy systems and facilities (eg. laundry, guest rooms)
Community: creating a neighbourhood with mutual support, good social life, safe setting, and common ownership and values
Affordability: shared facilities mean individual units can be smaller and more affordable. Mutual support cuts living costs

Whilst the scale and facilities would be tailored to the specific site, the target features include:

20-40 units of housing, with sizes ranging from one-room studios to family houses.
A high level of social housing provision, both rental and shared ownership: e.g. 35% of total units.
Strong focus on sustainability, e.g. a biomass zero-emissions shared heating system, car pooling and limits on private car ownership, units built to Code for Sustainable Homes Level 5.
Community market garden: space on site or within an easy walk where both cohousing residents and others can grow food.
Workspaces: small office, studio and therapy spaces, plus scope to use the large meeting space for workshops and training groups.
Guest accommodation for educational visitors, eco-tourism, and residents’ guests.
Community facilities: the project would provide a range of facilities and services for residents and the whole of the host community: such as a car club, playgroup, special interest groups, and the community market garden.

We want to create a welcoming, informal community which includes families and single people, old and young, owner-occupiers and renters. We hope that this will be a place to work and play as well as to live, with the key shared values being sustainability, mutual support and enjoying ourselves.

For more information, visit bridportcohousing.org.uk.

NEXT: Dorset Eco-Village

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