Yes and no. Our principles are similar to many others. We are unusual in that the site was found by a developer, Aspen, who have sought to gather a group of interested people rather than a pre-existing group seeking a site to develop. Both Aspen and the group are working with staff from Community Led Homes to support the emergence and development of our membership. The group is heavily involved in influencing the design of the site and our homes-to-be.

We hope before the end of 2028. We promise nothing! Planning permission and build process are not wholly predictable. See separate timescale information documents.

Predominantly apartments of different sizes and prices, each on a single level; some houses. We are in the process of working on the mix of 37 homes with Aspen. Most homes will be for owner-occupiers. We are exploring whether there might be any other options.

That is our intention. Balconies for homes that are not at ground level. A small dedicated terrace or garden for the rest - exclusive to the owner but probably not private in the sense of ‘secluded’.

At present we are seeking a design that enables everyone to drive close to their home to drop off but not necessarily to park right outside.

Yes. Exact specifications are still to be discussed but the principle is a non-negotiable.

All figures at this stage are provisional and subject to change, but as a rough guide - single bedroom flats are estimated in the region of £300,000 with 2 bedrooms in the region of £400,000 and 3 bedroom flats / bungalows in the region of £500,000.

The easy answer is ‘not just by majority voting’. We are exploring various consensual processes. We want everyone to be heard and concerns addressed whenever possible, even if they are minority concerns. We are already setting up small sub-groups so that many issues can be explored in detail without everyone needing to be involved, with recommendations then brought back to the full membership when appropriate for final decisions.

We are exploring all sorts of ideas at present.  Certainly a communal kitchen so that people can choose to cook and eat together as frequently or rarely as they wish.  Flexible spaces adaptable for different uses – e.g. eating, meetings, celebrations, chilling out, playing, creating. Workshop facilities. Guest accommodation. Shared laundry facilities, possibly around the site as well as centrally.

Lots of greenery. A large established tree and other existing trees and bushes. A small pond. Raised beds for flowers and vegetables. Fruit trees. Sitting out areas - a large patio area linked to the Common House with glass doors, plus seating dotted around the site. Playing area - a boules court and lawn close to the Common House. Growing area/s.  Parking designed not to dominate the space. We imagine some kind of car-sharing and e-bike sharing scheme. Bike and buggy storage/charging area.

Yes. A bus stop into the city right next to the site. A local train station (though with stepped access) less than 400 metres.

Just under two miles.

Heavily residential. Park within 15 minutes walk. Local convenience stores. Short drive to supermarkets (Morrison’s and Sainsbury’s less than a mile).

All Cohousing groups face challenges around their policy on pets. We will be researching other established cohousing communities to see what might work to balance the different views which will be sure to exist amongst our members (though we all expect anacondas to be kept on a lead).