A housing co-operative has plans to build new homes on land gifted to them by the council. The community led-housing project aims to give people the opportunity to buy homes for less than the current market price.
Nettle housing co-operatives who have acquired land on Woodborough Street in Easton, want to recruit local members who will have the opportunity to contribute to the design in its next phase and eventually live in one of the homes. They will also be holding an open event to consult local residents on the new housing block on the site of a former scout hut.
The new development, Woodborough Street Co-Housing Project, will include six homes, intended primarily for local families. The plan is to build a small block of flats which will include four two-bedroom homes, a one-bedroom flat and a three-bedroom maisonette and a community room and garden.
The Nettle co-op members would like to submit a planning application for their housing project in the spring of 2025 and hope to begin construction in 2026. The co-operative will retain ownership of a percentage of the homes which will lower the mortgage rate for those who buy the homes.
Speaking about the self-build project, Ecomotive, Woodborough Street Project Manager, Caroline Pringle said: “The average Bristol resident now needs almost ten times their annual salary to buy a house. It’s an impossible situation and something dramatic has to change nationally.
“That’s why Ecomotive, a co-op championing community led housing, have been supporting Nettle from the beginning. We now have the opportunity to do something that we hope will inspire other people who would like to create their own housing solutions.”
The consultation event will take place at St Marks Baptist Church, St Marks Road on October 26, from 2.30-4pm. The scheme is being designed by Barefoot Architects, who specialise in community projects.