| Springhill Cohousing Community is the first new-built cohousing community in Britain. There are 20 houses and 15 apartments, and of course a large common house (3500 square feet). The two-acre site is very close to the centre of Stroud, a town of 25,000 with a Green mayor and four organic cafes. The train station is a short walk away; it is a 90-minute trip by train to London.
The project was 80% pre-sold even before legal completion (ownership) of the site and before building permission had been granted.
Building work was done in phases, starting in 2003, and was 98% complete by February 2005. The last residents have now moved in and the first house is for re-sale.
We used a £4M facility from the Coop Bank to pay for the building phase.
The Common House is on three stories. We have finished decorating it and have even decorated and painted the internal staircase.
There are five regular shared meals in the common house. All meals are vegetarian organic.
We are committed to consensus decision-making and have undertaken DIY (do it yourself) training. We have an under-used Disputes Committee as well as a buddy system for resolving conflicts. Most residents have been working together on the project for at least three years.
We have the largest Solar PV generator on private housing in Britain (49 kWp), newspaper insulation, triple glazing, car share, composting, recycling, etc. Status: Established | Community location is placed at the center of the zip/postal code, city/state, or city/country (not based on street addresses) |
