40 families secure ‘cohousing’ plot through council
21 March 2014
The innovative K1 housing project has just secured a £3 million plot from Cambridge City Council with intent to build homes for between 36 and 40 families. Residents will also share a ‘common house’ with facilities such as a gym, spare bedrooms for guests and a communal laundry room.
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After some early interest, almost 40 families have now joined the ‘cohousing’ company so far, which will allow members to design houses on the site with professional help. They have already decided they want the street to be traffic-free and houses to be built to the highest environmental standards. Other ideas for the ‘common house’ include a room for dinner parties, an art studio, a children’s playroom, a workshop and a games room.
Hannah Shields, a future resident, said: “We believe co-housing will provide us with an extended family, a ‘village’ within the city for our children to grow up in. We will be living in a mutually supportive neighbourhood where we can swap some childcare for cooking a meal or doing some shopping for a neighbour.”
Cambridge City Council agreed to sell Graham Road in Orchard Park to the K1 project this week. It now needs to secure planning permission but hopes to start construction early next year with a view to families moving in during 2016.
Adam Broadway, the project manager, said: “It’s a rare opportunity for people to be involved in the design process right from the start. This gives us the green light and some clear parameters for the next stage of the work.”
