25 February 2015
An idea to self build up to 50 homes with straw bales is being developed by a community group in Cambridge.
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Cambridge Living Future Community (CLFC), a co-housing group currently formed of twenty local families, plans to secure a 15-acre site on the urban fringes of the city with plots shared out to build an eco-village under a Community Land Trust (CLT).
The neighbourhood, large enough to house 150 people, will feature a mixture of affordable terraced homes for rent and ownership through sweat-equity. Local builders and designers will be sought to help realise the scheme, with one proposal suggesting a design competition to help form the concept of the homes. Residents will be fully involved in all aspects of construction, working closely with builders who will run training courses on site.
In aiming to become fully self-sustainable, the village will have land set-aside to grow fruit and vegetables. Rainwater will be harvested from roofs and compost toilets will be installed to reduce waste. Energy generation will be delivered through solar power and the homes will be oriented in such a way to maximise this. Greywater will also be recycled onsite for the toilets and landscape irrigation.
Damien Clements, a core member of the project’s steering group, said: “The bottom line is we need to build a community that is able to work together. So rather than thinking of it as individuals who are simply self building on the same site – yes, of course, we are going to be working together for independent homes – the idea is that we will have a community hub where we can work, meet and play. And the expectation is that residents will put in a certain number of hours to maintain the community and its facilities.”
Talks with South Cambridgeshire District Council – one of the 11 local authorities pioneering the government’s ‘Right to Build’ Scheme – are already underway to establish the viability of the project. CLFC is also in contact with landowners to regarding land availability. The group hopes to submit a planning application in the autumn, with work on site to start in spring 2016.
An open meeting is being held on the 10th March at 5pm for those who are interested in becoming active in the project.
