Bridport Cohousing project

The overall aims of the project are:

Our vision and values
We want to create a welcoming, informal neighbourhood which includes all ages, with families, couples and single people, old and young, owner-occupiers and renters, pets, guests and activities. We hope that this will be a place to work and play as well as to live, with the key shared values being sustainability, mutual support and enjoying ourselves.

Our Aim is to create a neighbourhood that generates Sustainability: through shared resources: car pooling, market garden, green energy systems and facilities (e.g. laundry, guest rooms)

Community: creating a neighbourhood with mutual support, good social life, a safe setting, and common ownership and values

Affordability: house prices and rents at 80% of market rate. Shared facilities mean individual units can be smaller and more affordable. Mutual support cuts living costs.

Features of our neighbourhood
Whilst the scale and facilities would be tailored to the specific site, the target features include:

• 30 units of housing, with sizes ranging from one-bedroom flats to family houses
• A high level of social housing provision, 40% of homes will be housing association homes, for rent and part buy/part rent
• Strong focus on sustainability, likely to include zero-emissions heating systems, homes with high insulation levels, car pooling, electric bicycles and limits on private car ownership
• Community allotment: space on site where both cohousing residents and others can grow food
• Workspaces: small office, studio and therapy spaces, plus scope to use the large meeting space for workshops and training groups
• Guest accommodation for educational visitors, eco-tourism, and residents’ guests
• Community facilities: the project would provide a range of facilities and services for residents and the wider community: such as a car club, playgroup, special interest groups, and the community allotment.