VISION STATEMENT
The aim of Future Roots Housing Co-operative is to develop a model for well designed, affordable, rural housing with minimal environmental impact.
The scheme will be established as a green mobile home park, with individuals owning their own units while paying rent to the co-op for the plot on which it is sited. The park will also include communal space, shared facilities and wildlife areas. Future Roots Housing Co-operative is committed to fostering links with the local community.
The mobile home units will be of timber construction, using local resources and will be self built to at least some degree. All units will be required to meet high environmental standards and be visually sensitive to their location. A clause in the residents agreement will ensure that all dwellings remain affordable to future members of the co-operative.
Future Roots Housing Co-operative
Future Roots has been established by a small group of families and individuals all of whom are on below average income and have no access to secure long term housing.
The key aim of the project is to establish an exemplar solution which will provide for the members own needs and create a model which can be replicated across the Southwest and beyond.
The project will be a small rural community housing scheme based on a modest and affordable parcel of land, ideally adjoining a village with well established amenities and infrastructure. The land will be owned and managed by Future Roots Housing Co-operative Ltd of which all residents will be directors.
The Housing Co-op will raise finances to purchase the site and install infrastructure through the issue of loanstock. Co-operative rules dictate that should the land be resold in the future, the revenue raised must only be used to repay any outstanding debts with any remaining donated to a similar cause.
Project residents will pay rent for their plot, and a service charge to the Co-op.
Administration and decision making on Co-op business will be performed by using a consensus system by the members of the board consisting of all adult members of the project.
All adult members will sign a residents agreement which will bind them to the aims and processes of the Future Roots Housing Co-op.
The site will be landscaped with sensitivity to the surrounding environment and will include a range of community resources for residents and the local community
Each individual or family will own and be responsible for their dwelling unit.
Units may be all, or partially fabricated off site or fully self-built on site.
Design variety will be encouraged within the strict guidelines of BS3632, relating to Park Home manufacture, and the Future Roots Housing Co-op's own environmentally informed building code.
As dictated by BS3632, each dwelling will be limited in size to 18m long by 6m wide by 3m from floor to maximum ceiling height. They must be transportable in no more than two pieces and as such should be built on a suitable chassis.
The environmental code will ensure minimum environmental and carbon footprint with materials such as local timber encouraged wherever possible.