Draft Proposal from Pineridge-west Co-Housing Association
Version 1.02
'Co-Housing is a particular style of neighborhood development based upon a creative combination of private and communal facilities.' - Thinking about CoHousing, Martin Field, 2004
We are the Pineridge-west Co-housing Association (PCA). Our goal is to create and live in a friendly, peaceful and natural environment that resonates with the above statement and lives by the ideals set forth in the Common Ground of the Findhorn Community. Our vision of Co-Housing includes a communal house functioning as the heart of the Co-Housing development. Shared meals taking place in the communal house, and gatherings at shared outdoor spaces would be part of our community way of life. Further shared resources, such as sanctuary space, laundry facilities, and possible therapy and/or other rooms will evolve into the final design of the development.
The PCA is actively investigating solutions to the many issues facing the generation of such a sustainable development. It is our intention to work in partnership with Duneland, the Findhorn Foundation, New Findhorn Association(NFA) and others in this project and we plan to undertake a full consultation process. At present there are no established Co-Housing projects in Scotland. To the end of promoting the Co-Housing model, the PCA aspires to be able to provide educational material and workshops to educate and nurture this way of living.
Here are our initial thoughts on some of the main issues.
Organizational Structure
The Pineridge-west Co-housing Association has a strong commitment to at least one third of the dwelling units being affordable, thereby allowing members of lower means to have a beautiful and ecologically-sound place to live, as part of a vibrant co-housing group, within the wider Park community. In order to achieve this, we first and foremost intend to do what we can to buy the land and build the infrastructure as inexpensively as possible, building for our needs and not beyond. The PCA seeks to use a subsidised model both in partnership with the current landholders and within the Co-housing group itself. The proposal has been forwarded that the land could be sold at less than market value if affordable accommodation was part of the development. Thus the common goal of, PCA as the developers, and Duneland and Findhorn Foundation as landowners, begets a partnership. Within the group itself we seek to have some members contributing towards the building and land costs of others. We also intend to apply for Rural Home Ownership Grants as well as seeking other sources of funding.
To allow for differing levels of investment from varied sources, we are investigating registering a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) for the legal and organizational structure for the Association. The potential "Open Corporate" structure of a self generated constitution or Membership Agreement (MA) could allow the PCA to realize our goals, including the sustainability of affordable housing. A LLP is not bound by the management requirements of a company, such as, the obligation to have directors, arrangements for meetings, voting rights and so on. This allows for the creation of an MA that is simpler and suits the way we want the PCA to achieve its aims. The MA also allows ownership structure to be defined, as the LLP approach implies that Members are treated as owning assets of the LLP personally. We are also keen to ensure that the Membership Agreement provides that each adult member of our group has one vote irrespective of financial contributions.
Through our Membership Agreement we intend to regulate the profiting from both land and homes to secure them for future generations. Here in Scotland this could involve use of a Land Trust and either;
- Right to Occupancy- a structure already established and in practice whereby the Trust is the landowner and the resident lends to the Trust for the right to occupy it.
- Rural Housing Burden- where the Trust puts a burden on the land, essentially owning a part of it, thus controlling the resale-value when the land is put on the market.
Alternatively, some means could be found within the flexible constitution of the LLP structure itself. For example, land and building assets or ‘shares’ could be initially allocated according to investment in the build. The allocation would change as co-housing members exchange their ‘shares’, allowing the subsidised Members to ‘rent to own’. The MA could also allow outside parties such as Ekopia, Findhorn Foundation, and/or NFA to be Members of the LLP with a voice in any sale of land to ensure that homes designated as ‘affordable’ remain that way. The Membership Agreement would also outline a format to ensure that some degree of autonomy in decision making is retained within the co-housing association.
As with companies, LLPs have to file accounts, which would ensure transparency within the company and to the community as a whole.
The Illustration to the right shows one possible incarnation of the LLP model whereby different means of members support each other and interact through the central umbrella of the LLP. Click here?, or on the diagram for a larger version. Creation of different member states within the Co-Housing group allows for supporting and supported members, as well as those simply building their own house. We envisage types of membership such as: supporting build members, supporting non-residing members, building members, supported members, et-cetera, This model increases capital including built capital, natural capital, human capital and social capital.
This legal exploration will benefit from further development within the group and in co-operation with the community as a whole. Towards this aim, the PCA is making a commitment to membership within the NFA and adoption of the Common Ground as a condition of membership within the Co-housing Association.
Ecological Building
PCA desires to build to the highest ecological standards possible, being as waste and energy neutral as planning and financial considerations will allow. Passive solar heating with ventilated heat distribution throughout the buildings will be one element. We are also exploring the feasibility, including grants, for technologies such as; rooftop wind generation, thermal heat exchange systems, combined Heat and Power boilers, solar water heating, and possibly solar PV panels. There is the intention that rainwater collection be made a part of the design of the buildings as well. Wherever possible, we intend to use local sources and ecologically sustainable materials for the construction of the development. Another consideration is the use of compost toilets as part of our waste management plan. We recognize that at present the Moray Council may not accept this for planning permission so we are looking into the process of lobbying the councillors for change. We are also aware that the availability to this development of the Park’s Living Machine’s is not known, as it may already be at capacity or very close to it. Therefore, we are looking into methods of dealing with some of our own waste on site, using Living Machine technology, and/or constructed wetland. In recognition of this, perhaps land could be made available in partnership towards this venture. Low visual impact of vehicles is also important to the group.
Permaculture Context
Another vision is to evolve a permaculture woodland management plan for the whole of the Pineridge west area and define how that area becomes part of the whole that is the wider community. We would like to co-create with the existing forest so that co-housing and forest can co-exist.
Firstly, we understand that the outside edge of the woodland should remain as much as possible both for wind protection, and aesthetic. Perhaps this tree edge could be taken into consideration when determining the land to be offered for development.
The felling of trees within the development area will be done with consciousness and sensitivity, with some preference given to allowing the native species of Scots pine to reach a fuller potential. However given that even the Scots Pine have grown within plantation circumstances, the long trunk and top heavy foliage may not be suitable for remaining amongst buildings. Our hope is that some of the established trees could stay in the short term, but over time they could be replaced with new trees that would grow to become well-rounded trees.
For the southern woodland close to the developed area we envision an initial thinning of the plantation. Once again preference could be given to the Scots Pine over the Corsicans, to further foster growth, strength and longevity. This will also allow for more solar exposure for the dwellings and common structures, supporting less energy use. The image above shows a rough model of sun exposure at ten past one on the shortest day of the year (21/12/2005) to give an idea of the ammount of tree shadow.
A gradual thinning throughout the rest of the southern would permit planting and self seeding of deciduous trees such as birch, alder, hazel, aspen, rowan and oak to encourage bio-diversity and allow more light through in the winter when it is most needed. The use of nursing trees would assist this process. This would be done over a period of years so as not to shock the land, or the people who love it. After some initial consultation we are given to understand that a program of felling 20 or so trees every fall, would constitute a long term move from plantation to forest, and would be sustainable for the whole of the woodland.
We would also like to see other evergreens including yew, holly, and juniper as year round green cover and wind break. This would serve to further nourish variety in the ecosystem, especially around the edges of the woodland. The long-term goal of implementing a permaculture plan could involve transforming the area into a forest garden. This would include edible elements along the edges and pathways, including apple and pear trees, shrubs and groundcover such as blaeberry, blackcurrant, raspberry. Some space could be left as natural as possible and given over to wildlife. Given that the community as a whole is international in both people and plants, we do feel that some non-native plants should be welcome and encouraged. Possibilities such as, North American hardwoods to add color in the autumn, and a variety of edible plants, will be considered. Partnership with Trees for Life, the Park Tree Group and the wider community would be an essential element to evolving the forest management plan.
The Story Continues
We feel a strong dedication to a consultation and integration process with the community. Also present is a commitment by members of our co-housing group to working with the community on defining criteria by which residents are accepted as residents of the community as a whole.
Especially important in the community at this time is support around the emergence of a Communty Land Trust. As this will have an impact on our development we are working with others to bring this to fruition. Currently the PCA is a cohesive group that has been meeting for some time having emerged from the larger Moray Co-Housing Group (MCG) which has been in existence for over 18 months. The target is to build 12 Dwelling units. The group is open to further involvement from interested parties. Feel free to download our questionaire to familiarize yourself with some of the issues we are working with at present.
Many Thanks
Eian Smith (NFA Liason)
We in PCA are working closely with the Community Land Trust Group. Data source Here
In the spirit of collaboration please feel free to add your feedback and comments…
09 November 2005
10 November 2005
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