Living in the Future - a DVD of self builders and ecovillage

[quercusrobur]

This looks very interesting - due for release in June, but they need to raise some cash to get it out. Lots of clips on the site as well.
http://www.undercurrents.org/lowimpact/

[Muddypause]

That's a brilliant link. I've just spent a happy half hour watching all the clips.

As it happens, I was looking at the Lammas website a few days ago. It's really encouraging to see that somewhere now has adopted a positive planning policy of promoting 'eco' developements that ordinary people can build with their own hands.

[Trinity]

Brill.. I spent ages looking at the video clips this morning, and going through all the links.

Thanks

[Andy Hamilton]

Inspirational!

I love the way that they all seem to involve the wider community, something that simply does not happen in a city, I get a letter asking for my concerns I raise them and that's it, often ignored.

If you are talking about a 30 house project then that obviously needs an area that is not the smallest or it would be a tower block. So, could this be done in a city. Well there are eco homes in Bristol, but I saw some of the for sale at an unaffordable price in an estate agents window, which did upset me.

For something like this to really work I think that homes have to become something that is not considered a commodity, they have to be kept affordable. If you move on then you move onto another affordable housing project.

Anyway that is not the point that I wish to make about this as I really did see a vision of the future in these short films that is not only sustainable but enjoyable, I can't see street crime being a problem in any of these places or indeed any of the other problems that are linked with modern living. If wilcon homes became econ homes and instead of looking out of a train window and seeing our countryside being swallowed up by uninspired housing projects that insulate only the community, you saw projects like these what a difference that would make to the general wellbeing of our people and land.

Right then who is up for buying the old parcel force buildingin Bristol and turning that into an eco-village?

[jonny2mad]

wonder how much the parcel force building would be ?

Im signed up to help lammas people construct stuff they are not sure when but most likely this summer

[Andy Hamilton]

Just had a search around for information on it, there seems to be a smaller plot for rent in front of the parcelforce building (pdf).

There has been talk of turning the actual parcel force building into a stadium but I don't think they got planing permission. I can't find any info on what is going on with that area.

When the book is finished (August onwards) I would like to look into being involved at getting a similar plot in an urban setting to turn into a sustainable community. I notice from the Lammas site that they are selling shares in the project - is this a way to fund a project like this? So what does "low cost homes" actually mean? Would you need thousands, tens of thousands or millions to get such a project off the ground? I guess it is dependent on the size and location of the project and other considerations.

[the.fee.fairy]

Put me down for a plot on the Hamilton Eco Village!

[Andy Hamilton]

Put me down for a plot on the Hamilton Eco Village!

It's a thought isn't. Just how to fund it would be the first problem. I would like to have a project on a brown field but that is not without it's problems. It depends on what was there - you can't use land that has had certain chemicals on it, without digging it up and dumping the soil.

Brown field sites also mean urban areas and that can be more expensive. Then ensuring that it is going to be ok in the future as in is it more than 2m+ above sea level.

It would not be a Hamilton eco village as it would be a housing co-op and would have to be an amalgamation of whoever came in on it.

As I said though it is just a thought at the moment and possibly a pipe dream. How to raise the initial capital would definitely be a problem to over come.

[the.fee.fairy]

ok...Ish Village. To go with ish Island as previously discussed!

it is a though. Buying the land would be the most expensive bit. Presuming that there is woodland, and that the people coming to live there could contribute living space, the actual living would be fine.

There'd have to be enough money to get good solar panels installed, and a wind turbine and stuff.

[jonny2mad]

From what lammas said there is a better chance setting up things in Pembrokeshire but I dont see why something couldnt be set up in bristol.

Id come along to help and there seems to be a lot of people interesting in permaculture and green things in bristol

one of the the things that riles me is there are lots of small groups operating with simular goals that dont seem to talk to each other much .

often I hear about events say in weston or bristol after the damn thing has happened they had a low impact green building thing in the winter gardens in weston, I live in weston didnt even know the damn thing was happening .
They had a showing of oil crash in bristol again I didnt know missed it
its very annoying

[Andy Hamilton]

I have to agree with you there Johnny it is very frustrating. The spark is quite useful though and its free it is good for finding out what is going on in the south west.

Perhaps this deserves a new thread of its own rather than hijacking the lammas thread. Lets see if we can at least get a few people interested in an actual project that we can actively pursue.

[catalyst]

can you speak portuguese?
loads of selfsufficientish people are heading out this way where houses/ruins are cheap, and planning law doesnt stop you living on your land in a yurt, tipi, bender, bus...
andy