A new scheme is being proposed by Bristol City Council to see 14 new council homes built using land that is not usually available for development.
In collaboration with ‘We Can Make’ (WCM), a not-for-profit developed by Knowle West Media Centre, the Council has identified microsites where council housing could be built in Knowle West.
If approved by Bristol’s Cabinet tomorrow, WCM would build affordable homes for rent to local people, fixed at no more than a third of the average household income in Knowle West.
Existing council tenants volunteer parts of their garden for the project, which are then transferred to WCM on a long lease.
Two homes are currently under construction as part of the early pilot of the scheme; one is being built for a young woman and her daughter in the garden of her parents’ council home and the other will provide a new home for someone in temporary accommodation by reducing the size of a garden that the existing tenant has found unmanageable.
The new homes are built using factory-produced prefabricated panels, and include sustainability measures such as green roofs, bike storage and planting to encourage biodiversity.
Cllr Tom Renhard, Cabinet Member for Housing Delivery and New Homes said: ‘We Can Make is a really exciting, innovative way to support our ambitions to deliver more affordable homes and tackle Bristol’s housing crisis. By working collaboratively with Knowle West Media Centre and the local community, we can make sure that the right homes are built in the right places for the right people.
‘This scheme makes good use of land available to the council and enables people to stay within their local area. By disposing of this land to a not-for-profit organisation rooted in the community, we can make sure that the homes remain available to those that need them most in Knowle West now and in future.’
Melissa Mean, Director of We Can Make, said: ‘We Can Make is a new community-led way to make affordable homes for local people. In low-density neighbourhoods like Knowle West, there are often spaces hidden in between buildings and in large back gardens where new homes could be added. We call this gentle densification “urban acupuncture”- adding homes precisely where people need them most.
‘We Can Make has three essential ingredients. One, is opt-in densification. For example, a family experiencing over-crowding can opt-in to use part of their garden to create space for a new home for their adult child to live in, and which is guaranteed to be affordable forever. Two, the community helps set the rules for what gets built through a Community Design Code. Three, we localize and de-carbonise the production of the homes using a timber modular construction system. The parts are made in our community factory, growing local jobs and community wealth.
‘Our aim is that other communities will be able to learn from what we are doing in Knowle West, and use the approach to help better meet their own housing needs.’
In related news, the UK’s first net zero carbon social homes have been completed in East Manchester, with the two properties passed over to residents as part of a wider low carbon housing development.
Photo supplied by Bristol City Council