Communal Living But Not Like In The Sixties
by admin, stockmarketsreview.com
February 23rd 2011
Communal living in the past has conjured up images of wild excess where
everything is shared. During the 1960’s they became quite popular and then
seemed to fade out, but they are making a comeback but not in the way that you
remember. Burgeoning communal housing projects are taking hold throughout the
country and there are now networks operating which advise people that are
interested in how to go about setting on up.
One such communal housing project which has been hailed as a success is
Threshold in Gillingham in Dorset. It used to be a farm and before that a
Saxon settlement but has been turned into one of these schemes where
like-minded people have chosen to create their own community. They tend to
share the same principles of caring and sharing but they also enjoy their
privacy and autonomy.
The main concept of all communal housing schemes is an antidote to the
isolation and alienation that many people feel in modern day society, some
people do not even though their neighbours let alone their community. Some
people like to live that way but for those of you who do not then communal
housing could appeal. You will still be able to shut your front door and have
a private life but share a sense of community with others also.
There is usually a communal building which everyone can use which holds classes
and activities. The environment is also an important concern so organic
gardens and shared laundry facilities are high on the agenda. Some of the
meals are eaten communally.
Many thought that this was a middle class ideal but in fact they do accommodate
low-income families too. At the Threshold Centre half off the 14 inhabitants
who live there have come through a housing association. In the future they
hope that more and more housing associations will come on board. Some
community housing projects are working towards accommodating the elderly with
health facilities on site.
Those involved known that they have to overcome the suspicion that comes with
communal housing projects. They are not all lentil eating tree huggers. The
governments Localism Bill could allow more of these projects get off the ground
because they would need 80% approval from the local community to build on land
not designated for housing. It could also speed up the process as the planning
process for them can be quite lengthy especially as opposition can be a
barrier. One such project, Laughton Lodge, was up against a petition of 200
local people but they won the locals over. They were not going to be dope
smoking hippies and that was the message that they had to get across. Once
they had the support of the locals then they were granted planning permission
and the project was able to go ahead. Locals even attend different classes and
events there and it shows that these projects do work.
Communal living is not for everyone but they are becoming more popular and seem
to answer what David Cameron means by the Big Society.
http://www.uklandforsale.org
Original Page:
http://www.stockmarketsreview.com/realestate/2011/02/23/communal-living-but-not-like-in-the-sixties/
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