Communal Living But Not Like In The Sixties
http://www.stockmarketsreview.com/realestate/2011/02/23/communal-living-but-not-like-in-the-sixties/
February 23, 2011
by Fiona Davies
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
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