community led housing london

West Ken Gibbs Green Community Homes

West Kensington and Gibbs Green are two adjacent estates in LB Hammersmith & Fulham. The estates contain 760 homes and close to 2,000 residents, but were due to be sold off to developers.

Over two thirds of households are members of West Ken & Gibbs Green Community Homes Limited (WKGGCH), the company set up by residents to take over the ownership of their estates. The Members have elected a Board which is made up of 14 residents and 4 housing experts. The Board meets every couple of months to progress its founding aim, which is to improve the neighbourhood and save the estates by transferring them into community ownership under resident control.

The Lillie Road site is a significant infill opportunity which can be delivered following the Right to Transfer proposal for the estates.

How we’re helping
We have supported a feasibility study and advised on co-design at Lillie Road. The initial feasibility work has been completed and used to support discussions with the council. We have advised on delivery models and development partnership options.

 
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Camley Street Sustainability Zone

A community-led project to develop affordable housing with genuine industrial space involving local people.

Camley Street Sustainability Zone is linked to the Neighbourhood Forum and brings together the interests of businesses on the Cedar Way industrial estate and those of residents on the residential estate opposite. The industrial estate was built in the 1980s and is home to a number of businesses, employing around 500 people and providing essential services across London. A survey of local residents found housing was a great priority for the area, in particular more affordable family housing.

The Camley Street Neighbourhood Plan recognises an opportunity to intensify land uses by integrating industrial use with new residential development.

How we’re helping
We have provided a small amount of funding to help explore the legal basis of co-production. LB Camden are engaged in discussion with CSSZ and agreeing joint working.

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Watch a presentation of the project

Camley Street Harvest Festival

Copper Lane Cohousing

London’s first cohousing project shows how sharing some spaces supports community life and makes the houses more compact.

 

Number of homes 6 market value homes
Location Stoke Newington
Project Stage Built 2014

How they formed
The residents came together to do things collectively, sharing things such as gardens and laundry and workshop facilities.

The founding members of the group formed a non-profit company limited by guarantee. The site and common parts are owned by the company. Individual homes are owned on 999-year leases by leaseholders who are also directors of the company. They meet once a month to sort out collective business.

Site
The site had an abandoned set of buildings formerly used as a nursery, surrounded by the backs of terraced houses on all sides. Three of the current residents who lived nearby, spotted the site for sale without planning permission and bought the site together.

Finance
The group sold their homes to finance the purchase of the land and moved into rented accommodation. Once planning permission was secured, they were able to obtain individual mortgages from Ecology Building Society.

Design and Construction
Clustered around a raised central courtyard with a communal space beneath, five of the six houses have internal doors to a shared laundry, workshop and hall which saves space in individual houses and encourages a neighbourly community, surrounded by communal gardens.

The scheme was designed by Henley Halebrown. The homes are sunk 1.2 metres into the ground meaning they do not overshadow neighbouring houses. The orientation of buildings and placement of windows also minimise overlooking.

Trees on the site were kept where possible and high-grade timber and brick cladding were used to blend in with the vegetation and surrounding back gardens. High levels of energy efficiency are achieved with a well-insulated structure, triple glazing, heat recovery ventilation, solar thermal water heating and airtight construction techniques.

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