Eco-Hamlets UK

The scale of any settlement we can create is limited by the amount of money that can be raised, sites that are available for sale, and the planning system. Summarised below are a few suggestions. Also below is a brief section on the complicated areas of ownership, legal and management structures.

A Farm With Existing Housing

The group that bought Trelay Farm were searching for a farm with enough housing for the group. Many farms have had redundant outbuildings converted to holiday cottages, but these normally have planning permission for short term holiday use only (often a maximum of 4 weeks). Some farms, such as Trelay, have holiday cottages with full residential planning permission, or several houses that accommodated the farmer's family and workers. These sites are often sold with a substantial amount of agricultural land. The difficulty is in finding a site in a good location, with adequate space to accommodate enough people to make it affordable and viable. These sites are likely to cost £1-£1.5 million and upwards, so require a number of people with substantial savings and proceeds from the sale of their house available, but it is a realistic option.

A Redundant Farmyard with Planning Permission

Old farm buildings are often unsuitable for current mechanised farming, and are sold for conversion to housing. These often have planning permission for conversion to residential use. Some are sold as one lot, while others are sold as individual conversion projects. Sometimes the farmhouse is included in the sale, so there could be a mixture of habitable housing (probably in need of renovation), and buildings for major conversion work. It is less common for these sites to be advertised with a significant amount of agricultural land, but it may be possible to negotiate with the seller. The advantage is that buying the site would be a lot cheaper, and would require less people to purchase the site, and additional people could be found later to finance the conversion work. It would be a major project, and would take a lot of time and effort, although much better quality, and more suitable housing could ultimately be achieved. A lot more involvement with the local planning department would be required, as it is likely that any existing planning permission wouldn't suit the needs of the group.

Building Land with Adjoining Agricultural Land

It is less likely that an affordable site like this could be found, but it would allow new build homes to the very highest environmental standards, and suitability for the residents, to be created, so worth investigating.

There is/was a large house with planning permission to replace with around 15 houses and flats, with a barn for conversion and 6.5 acres for sale in 3 lots in West Wales, but it appears that part of the site has been sold. New build housing should need very little heating, so less land should be necessary as there would be little need to grow trees for firewood.

A Smaller Site

A site costing £1-£2 million with adequate accommodation may not be achievable in the current economic situation. It would depend on there being enough interested people who have sold their houses and have cash available at the same time. Although it's a buyers market and buying a site may be easier, it's difficult, if not impossible, for anyone who has not yet sold their house to contribute to buying the site. So a site that could be purchased by 2 or 3 people is another option.

There are sites for sale with a couple of houses, sometimes outbuildings with conversion potential, and with land, that could potentially be adapted to create co-housing style accommodation for a small group of people, and costing from around £500 thousand. As it is intended that the settlement we create should be an accepted part of the wider local community, any loss of diversity shouldn't be a problem, and the project would be easier to complete. Maybe small groups could purchase similar local sites as they come up for sale, and in time create something much larger.

Imagination and Flexibility

The above suggestions are certainly not an exhaustive list, but a few potential ideas. Maybe we will find a totally different type of site that meets our needs. We will need to keep our eyes open to unusual possibilities, use our imagination, and be flexible!

Ownership, Legal, and Management Structures

This is a big area, fraught with difficulties and challenges! There are a number of ways of setting these up, and a lot of work was done by SWESE, the group that bought Trelay Farm. This work, recent changes to the law, and any new ideas, need to be carefully considered. We need structures that are open, honest and fair to everyone involved, and where everyone feels a sense of belonging. People who have invested a substantial amount of money need to feel their money is safe, and that they can return to the mainstream world in a similar financial position to how they left it, if they wish. People with little or no money invested also need to feel safe, valued and full members of the community. We need to create a good life for everyone who lives there.

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	This work by John Boshier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales License.