Transition Homes
Introduction
This document sets out a proposal for the development of low-impact, low-cost homes for local people. It is an innovative concept that centres on the close integration of housing and sustainable food production and features high energy efficiency and the use of local natural, materials.
This proposal is important because it constitutes a practical response to the serious challenges we are facing as a community and as a society. The project will provide jobs and skills training and stimulate the local economy and is an opportunity to share our knowledge about sustainable ways of living which could be replicated as a development model elsewhere. It will be a pioneering and inspirational example of how people can live and work together to create more resilient communities – a demonstration of transition in action!
The Challenge
Our society currently faces a number of significant threats including global warming, widespread environmental stress, and the depletion of natural resources. Concerning the latter, it is now clear that supplies of oil and gas will become scarcer from this point forward and it is unlikely that sufficient alternative sources of energy will come on line soon enough to fully replace fossil fuels. These are our most potent energy sources upon which we are hugely dependant for everything ranging from domestic heating to transport and food production. Indeed food security in an oil-poor future is a major challenge that must not be under estimated.
At the same time we are confronted with an unprecedented financial crisis which is shaking the foundations of the global economy resulting in business closures and loss of jobs and homes, with the worst still yet to come. One of the immediate effects of the financial crisis is that traditional style property development has come to a complete standstill and many builders are out of work.
The lack of low-cost homes is recognised to be a major problem in the South Hams, impacting negatively on individuals and communities. Many people are being forced to leave to find cheaper housing elsewhere. Others are choosing to live with family or friends or in temporary, sub-standard, overcrowded or otherwise unsuitable accommodation. For years the supply of affordable housing has fallen well short of what is required to meet demographic trends and the situation is worse now that house building is in decline. However, not only do we need to build more homes for people on the local housing needs register, we also need to house people that ‘slip through the net’ – those that are on low or below average incomes who can’t afford to buy on the open market or are struggling to pay market rents.
There is also an urgent need to minimize the carbon impact of housing – currently 27% of the UK carbon footprint- in the design and use of materials and energy, especially in view of the government’s proposed 80% carbon dioxide emissions cut by the year 2050.
These are the challenges we face. It is clear that we must cut our greenhouse gas emissions, reduce our impact on the environment and at the same time prepare for energy descent. We need to plan for long term resilience and be proactive as a community in developing effective local responses, rather than rely on Government or the invisible hand of the market and find new ways of delivering low-cost, carbon neutral, energy efficient homes.
The Concept
An action plan to develop a Transition Homes project was the result of discussions within the TTT Eco Construction group on how some of these issues might be resolved by building low-impact homes for local people. This project has now been developed into a more holistic TTT proposal that incorporates not only sustainable construction but also food and energy production, forest gardens and medicinal herbs, reduced transport and education.
By meeting strict environmental criteria in the use of the land and in the design and construction of the buildings, the development will have a small carbon footprint and be self sufficient in energy and power, which will be generated by the use of renewable energy technologies and locally available fuel sources.
To address the issue of food security, housing will be integrated with gardens and shared growing areas will enable residents to produce their own food with an aim to increase yields in a sustainable way, so that any surplus generated can be sold locally. Permaculture principles and design will be used, together with the knowledge developed by Dartington’s Agroforestry Research Trust. This will be a conscious experiment in sustainable living and the lessons learnt will be documented and shared for the benefit of the community at large.
It is important that the people living in this new development are not seen as being separate from the existing local, residential community - engagement with and integration into the wider community will be essential and achieved through work, recreation, information sharing and joint use of local amenities.
The Site
Transition Homes is in negotiation with local landowners regarding the allocation of a suitable site for the project.
Design Principles
We propose clustering all buildings on the site leaving part free for food production.
The units will sit on small garden plots and fruit and nut trees will be incorporated into the scheme, along with other community buildings and resources. The site will be landscaped to promote biodiversity and encourage wildlife, with a wetland area and a pond included. Minimal parking on site and a community car share scheme will be designed to discourage car use and encourage walking, cycling and the use of public transport.
The houses will sit lightly in the landscape and will be simple, compact and of efficient design, requiring less materials, energy and maintenance. They will be constructed using local, non-toxic, non-polluting materials using the ‘cradle-to-cradle’ philosophy. High design and build standards will be attained through careful attention to detail and innovative solutions will be encouraged, though cost control will guide all decision making, keeping the project viable and affordable.
Each unit will be of modular design in different sizes to accommodate a range of household types, from one bedroom units for single person households to four bedroom units for larger families and those who want to share accommodation. An additional utility building will also be constructed as a communal clothes washing and energy storage/production facility. Storage space for gardening implements and materials and bike sheds will also be provided on site. All homes will be self contained, single story detached dwellings and the smaller units might be built as a terrace.
These easy to build houses will be constructed partially off or on site with the basic design accommodating a degree of self-build with flexible interior layouts. They will be raised of the ground to eliminate/minimise the use of concrete. Roofs will ideally be turfed to blend with the landscape and decrease water run-off but other low-impact alternatives could be accommodated. The shell and cladding of each house will be constructed from local, sustainably sourced timber. There will be high levels of natural insulation and air tightness and all flooring and walls will be constructed from and coated with natural non-fossil fuel materials.
Wood-burning stoves will provide for heating, cooking and hot water in the winter with the addition of solar hot water systems and the potential use of biogas in the future. The buildings will be designed and built to maximise energy efficiency through solar orientation and passive solar gain. There will be good natural lighting and solar space heating plus double glazing, with the provision of adequate shading and ventilation during the summer months. All lighting and electrical appliances will be low-energy. Roof mounted photovoltaics will be used to pump solar hot water, feed appliances in the buildings and charge batteries during times of excess. With the increasing demand for green electricity, it will be important to export any excess to the national grid, enabling connection to a potential local grid in the future.
The installation of compost loos will reduce water use and eliminate the need for a sewage system. Grey water will be diverted for irrigation and rain water will be harvested from the roofs. All waste will be reduced to a minimum, using onsite composting and recycling facilities and reed beds for grey water treatment.
Education
Educational and information resource facilities will be available for members of the public and organisations eg. local schools and those wishing to discover more about how this sustainable development and its supporting systems operate. The design and construction of the buildings from local, natural materials without the use of petrochemicals, will be researched and fully documented. Skills training and relevant courses will be offered and extra accommodation could be provided for students eg. Schumacher College, to study the project in more depth.
Allocations
The occupants of Transition Homes will initially be selected from the local Housing Needs Register. A need for Affordable Housing has been established by the Dartington Village Housing Needs Survey conducted at the end of 2008 which showed a lack of Affordable Housing for local people. Further selection for Intermediate market housing will be made from people on low incomes who cannot afford to buy or rent on the open market. Candidates will not only need to demonstrate that they are in need of low-cost housing, but that they also support the Transition Living concept by signing a Resident’s Charter and are prepared to get involved during the implementation stages.
Organisation and process
The Steering Committee of Transition Homes consists of individuals who are passionately committed to delivering low-cost, energy efficient, carbon neutral homes and who have a wealth of professional knowledge and skills gained from working in the affordable housing and design and build sectors. The TTT Eco Construction group has set up a not- for- profit development and construction company, Totnes Sustainable Construction Ltd and is in the process of producing preliminary design sketches and costings for this proposal. The company will employ professional builders to lead on the development but the use of voluntary labour will also be a feature of the construction process and will offer volunteers the opportunity to learn new skills. As the project progresses, the experience of people from the Energy, Food, Health and Wellbeing and Transport groups within TTT will be called upon to help achieve this holistic transition initiative. An architect, planning consultant and quantity surveyor will be engaged at a later stage in the process.
A Community Land Trust (CLT) has been established to take ownership of the project. A CLT is a local community-controlled organisation set up to own and manage land and other assets in perpetuity for the benefit of the community. Community Land Trusts are officially defined in section 79 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 as follows:
A Community Land Trust which qualifies as an English body is defined in the 2008 Act as a corporate body which satisfies the conditions below:
Condition 1 is that the body is established for the express purpose of furthering the social, economic and environmental interests of a local community by acquiring and managing land and other assets in order:
to provide a benefit to the local community and
to ensure that the assets are not sold or developed except in a manner which the trust’s members think benefits the local community
Condition 2 is that the body is established under arrangements which are expressly designed to ensure that:
any profits from its activities will be used to benefit the local community (otherwise than by being paid directly to members)
individuals who live or work in the specified area have the opportunity to become members of the trust (whether or not others can also become members) and
the members of the trust control it
The Transition Homes CLT Steering Group is seeking a legal structure and has applied for funding to the Community Land Trust Fund (set up by the Tudor Trust and the HYPERLINK "http://www.esmeefairbairn.org.uk" \t "_blank" Esmée Fairbairn Foundation), to provide technical assistance on key aspects including choice of legal form, feasibility, affordability, procurement, local authority ‘buy in’ and planning permission.
The aspects of planning, home allocations, tenure, affordability, funding and financial feasibility are to a large extent interdependent and we envisage working in partnership with the Dartington Trust, other landowners, the Parish and South Hams DC to reach solutions that ensure the successful implementation of the project. Transition Homes also has the support of : Dartington village Parish Council, Devon Community Council, Totnes Built Environment Forum, South Devon Rural Housing Association and the ex-Chief Planning Officer South Hams District Council.
Conclusion
This project will deliver carbon-neutral buildings using reclaimed and locally available materials of low embodied energy that don’t ‘cost the earth’. The development will play a role in expanding the choice and diversity in the housing stock and provide affordable, energy efficient homes for local people on low incomes and hopefully set an example to other land owners to adopt similar schemes. It will enable the occupants to live a healthier, more connected, ecological way of life as part of a stronger and more resilient community.
