The members of the Bridport Cohousing community are delighted to share with everybody a momentous milestone in their journey of creating 53 new affordable eco-homes for Bridport. This month, September 2022, the builders CG Fry have released the first four houses and members are starting to move in. Hooray!
The lucky four households are all local people and are moving into their beautiful new homes. The remaining six terraces and two apartment blocks are being released to local people following a rolling program of completion, between now and Spring 2023.
The cohousing neighbourhood, called Hazelmead, will add 53 affordable homes to Bridport’s housing stock.
“These are no ordinary homes” says Lin Scrannage of Briport Cohousing “They have been designed by Dorset architect Sam Goss of Barefoot Architects. They are spacious and light and are ultra energy efficient which will cut residents’ heating bills dramatically”
Moving in day for Lucy, who is a district nurse and has been a member of Bridport Cohousing for many years. She says ‘’Neil, Megan and I are extremely excited and happy to be finally moving into our new home and community, every inch of which is perfectly designed to help us adapt and grow facing the modern challenges of climate change and food security concerns.’’
Bridport Cohousing have teamed up with Bournemouth Churches Housing Association who have accessed grants from Homes England and made significant financial investment to provide homes for rent and low cost shared ownership, which are available through the Government’s ‘Help To Buy’ scheme.
BCHA are delivering 39 homes of which 26 will be for Social Rent and 13 for Shared Ownership starting with a 25% share. Bridport Cohousing is delivering 14 homes for Shared Equity with an 80% share. They will be working together to enable residents to manage the neighbourhood, including the extensive landscaping and food growing areas. This will be the first cohousing group of its kind in West Dorset and was inspired by a similar project, The Threshold Centre, which has been running successfully in Gillingham, North Dorset since 2004.
Many of the properties have already been allocated to local people but there are still 2 low cost shared ownership one bedroom,two person flats available for sale and houses to rent though BCHA, Details can be found on the Bridport Co-Housing website.
Colin Salisman of BCHA says “It is great to see this community led project come to fruition and start housing local people, it will be a fantastic place to live and a great opportunity for people to get on the housing ladder with purchase of one of our one bed flats starting at £43,75 for a 25% share’’.
One member who has moved into her new home this month says:
‘’The people I have come to know, whilst all different, share in common kindness. Everybody who has been involved in the success of this project has done so for more than just themselves. We have all worked hard as volunteers, doing what we can, if and when we are able, supporting each other along the way, and now the ideas are literally being built up from the ground, proving the amazing strength and ability we have, when we come together in community.’’
We express huge thanks to all our many supporters and well-wishers, including Dorset Council who, along with the wider community of Bridport, stepped in to support us when we needed help. We especially thank those who loaned us money to buy the land; without that help at a crucial time the project would not have been able to get started.
For media information on BCHA please contact BCHA Communications Manager Victoria Kate via email at: Victoriakate@bcha.org
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