31 July 2015
An innovative cohousing project allowing people to customise their own homes has moved a step closer to becoming a reality after securing the support of a UK-Swedish development team.
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Following five years of campaigning, the K1 scheme has secured planning permission from South Cambridgeshire District Council to start building 38 homes on the 2.4 acre site at Orchard Park in north Cambridge by the end of the year. And TOWNhus – a joint venture between UK development company TOWN, and Swedish housing group Trivselhus – has been chosen as the preferred purchaser to buy the land and deliver the proposed scheme, after the Cambridge Cohousing Ltd group initiated a search for a suitable developer through a public procurement exercise.
The land is currently owned by Cambridge City Council, which several years ago resolved to use the land to facilitate a cohousing development. It was originally conceived as a large-scale self build project but, due to legal issues surrounding VAT, the local authority could only sell the land to a developer under a custom build model. The process to date has involved the future residents of K1 in years of hard work to help create the imaginative designs for the development – and it is understood that they will have the opportunity to ‘self finish’ the homes by installing kitchens and other internal fittings.
Dave Prinsep of Cambridge City Council, said: “There’s a growing expectation on councils to enable and support custom build and cohousing groups, so it’s fantastic that Cambridge City Council is leading the way on such innovative methods of delivering housing by facilitating this development.”
The model is different from other cohousing schemes because the cohousers don’t have to fund the purchase of the land themselves. Land prices have had a negative impact on many embryonic cohousing schemes which have failed to get off the ground – across the whole country, only about 20 cohousing schemes have been completed. But in the Cambridge model, it’s the developer who buys the land from the council.
The developer then sells the homes on an individual basis to each householder – the same as for any new build scheme. Once the development is completed, the ownership of the land and all the communal facilities such as the Common House and workshop pass to Cambridge Cohousing Ltd – the company formed by all the householders. From then on, the common areas are managed and maintained by the residents for the benefit of their community and neighbourhood.
Miranda Garfoot is intending to buy offplan with her husband Joe and two young children and said all the hard graft has been worthwhile: “We’re not doing anything radical. For us, cohousing makes total sense – it’s a no-brainer. Why wouldn’t you want to live in a beautiful, simple, adaptable new home in a new development you’ve helped to create, among neighbours who, like us, put a high value on community and sustainability.”
Jan Chadwick and her husband Ian have been members of Cambridge Cohousing since 2013. Jan said: “It’s such a rare opportunity. We’re moving from Cheshire to be part of K1 purely because it’s a cohousing scheme with an inspiring design. I’ve known about cohousing for a while and love the concept of a diverse group of people of all ages coming together to build a community. I’m looking forward to companionship, pooling of ‘stuff’ that would otherwise clutter up the home, sharing common spaces but still enjoying our own private customised home.”
A house customisation workshop takes place on Monday 3rd August. The members are also planning an Open Evening at Orchard Park Community Centre on 5th September which will provide an opportunity to meet some of the group and find out more from developer TOWNhus.
