Meeting tomorrow night (Thursday)
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Lesley Mountain
Nov 20, 2013, 9:09:01 AM11/20/13
to northumberla...@googlegroups.com
Hi all,
If anyone read the notes from the last meeting they’ll have seen we planned to meet tomorrow night to set up the room for Saturday and then go for community Gluhwein.
Sorry to say that this is now cancelled, but hope to see some of you on Saturday for a positive and focussed day!
All the best
Lesley
Harry Ramsdale
Nov 20, 2013, 10:57:46 AM11/20/13
to Lesley, northumberla...@googlegroups.com
Hi there.
Firstly it's a shame that the meeting isn't happening tomorrow. I hope everyone is well and not finding the change in weather too horrendous.
I just wanted to say sorry I haven't been in touch much latley. I've just started a new course and that's mostly what I've been focused on recently. I am still wanting to be a part of our group and want very much to be a part of anything that happens. Unfortunatly I haven't managed to get the shifts that I needed in order to attend the workshop this weekend (pretty peeved about this as I've been really looking forward to it) I'm contemplating a sick day but we're so short staffed at the moment that I don't think I can bring myself to do it.
I was hoping that I could just be in touch more through e-mail and pass on some of the things that are important to me. I'm quite flexible in the things that I'm after from a project like this. There might be quite a lot here so I wander if someone would be willing to print this off and bring it along for the day. Sally will be there so I'll pass her a copy as well.
I really liked the idea of a self-build project especially following the talk that Duncan gave at one of the civic centre events. This made me feel like the kinds of skills we would need for a timber frame build using the Walter Seagal approach were within our ability to learn. One factor that really sold this to me was the fact that it is a techniquee that can be applied to complicated sites like hillsides because of the types of foundations. One of my reservations about building somewhere was originally that it take up space that might not otherwise be used, however, if a certain number of new houses have to built each year anyway then I would much rather that we add to the number of them that are built in a conscientious and eccological way (plus it would be mint!).
I wouldn't rule out making use of an existing building though as long as we could still make it affordable. There are som amazing places dotted round Newcastle that I I've had dreams about becoming something amazing. How great would Pendower estate on Westgate Road be or that massive old building next to the police station in the same direction?
I am hoping for a medium sized bike journey into Newcastle. 30 minutes max, I'd say about 6 miles. These could be stretched if we were near public transport or a cycle route (such as the river routes). I don't want to be a long way from the city but I would consider further at a push and would take the risk for the right kind of project (probably).
The shared spaces and a sense of community are really important to me. I am keen on there being some shared facilities. I liked the idea that there would be some guest rooms in the shared facilities. Some shared workshop space would be something I'd really like to see. Some kind of non specific community space that could be set up to accomodate different things would be something I'd like. It might be a good idea to do some of these things in the form of non permanent structures (for planning permission and cost sake). Some covered outside space could be used for a lot of different things. I would like to be able to cook my own meals (whether this was in individual or shared cooking facilities) but I would like there to be some communal meals and I think it would be a particularly good thing if these were somehow combined with some of the meetings we would have to have so that even if there is something that is a chore that we need to get through we can still celebrate it afterwards.
Affordability is an issue for me. Both in the sense that currently I don't have a very healthy income (but am working on it) and in the sense that I would want the project to be accessible for others in a similar situation to myself whether this was early in the project or further in the future (I want it to remain affordable and not become a source of individual profit). The mutual home ownership scheme model seemed like something that might work for this especially the relationship with a CLT which means that the land would be held in trust for the purpose of this scheme and could only be used for afforadable schemes in the future (e.g increase in the value of the land not used for profit). (Combine this with building techniques that could be used on an unusualy plot that other developers might not be interested in and maybe that would increase the chance for success). A mutual home ownership model would have the flexibility for changes in peoples lives in the sense that there is equity involved.
The mutuality aspect is important to me. A not for profit cooperative was what I had initially envisaged when we started to think about housing. I'm more flexible about this now though.
Ideally this project would take into account how it would further the aims of groups that want to do something similar in the future (this is a wish but something that could take many form and not necessarily financial - I am totally flexible about this)
I would want the project to have some ecological aims. However for me the prospect of a good place to live is most important. What was mentioned at the Lilac talk about the importane of investing in the built space seemed right to me. There are funds around for making green improvements to buildings and I think that it would be a good idea to make a commitment to accessing these for future green improvements and spend what money we can on the build (obviously still making it as green as possible with what we have access to). I hope this makes sense.
Animals are not an issue for me I can take or leave them. Chickens are nice, I like goats. Growing space is similar I would really like to see this but would be willing to sacrifice some outdoorspace if it was necessary for other things. On the other hand I have dreams about building somesort of inside garden taking up a whole floor in a block of flats. No idea how, but this would be a very good thing. A greenhouse on the roof maybe. Perhaps it would save us money on issulation.
My main concerns about what we've done so far (I guess it's important to do this part as well as it's a facilitation workshop - this part isn't aimed at anyone it's just things that I've thought about). We've never really seemed to figure out how we are working as a group. We've not really done much on the process of decision making or when we know we have decided something (no set way of working). I think this has maybe made things difficult for us especially as there are quite a lot of us involved. This is something that I would place very high up if we had a next actions list or something. In fact I think I would probably put it at the top. I think that growing as a group will be problematinc untill we've established these things and decided what we want as it stands now, then we can worry about finding more people to share our vision.
P.S I want everything to be kite powered - http://www.makanipower.com/home/ when all our elcetricity comes from one of these (and not from an energy company even if all they use is kites) and we have some awesome warm homes on stilts I will be well pleased.
I'm sure the weekend will be really useful and I'm very sad to be missing it.
There are probably other aspects that I could mention but I'm running out of time to finish this so I'll wrap it up.
Hope everyone enjoys the weekend I'm sure it will be great.
Good luck everyone
hope to see you soon
regards
Harry
From: moun...@phonecoop.coop
To: northumberla...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [northumberlandhousingcoop] Meeting tomorrow night (Thursday)
Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 14:09:01 +0000
Firstly it's a shame that the meeting isn't happening tomorrow. I hope everyone is well and not finding the change in weather too horrendous.
I just wanted to say sorry I haven't been in touch much latley. I've just started a new course and that's mostly what I've been focused on recently. I am still wanting to be a part of our group and want very much to be a part of anything that happens. Unfortunatly I haven't managed to get the shifts that I needed in order to attend the workshop this weekend (pretty peeved about this as I've been really looking forward to it) I'm contemplating a sick day but we're so short staffed at the moment that I don't think I can bring myself to do it.
I was hoping that I could just be in touch more through e-mail and pass on some of the things that are important to me. I'm quite flexible in the things that I'm after from a project like this. There might be quite a lot here so I wander if someone would be willing to print this off and bring it along for the day. Sally will be there so I'll pass her a copy as well.
I really liked the idea of a self-build project especially following the talk that Duncan gave at one of the civic centre events. This made me feel like the kinds of skills we would need for a timber frame build using the Walter Seagal approach were within our ability to learn. One factor that really sold this to me was the fact that it is a techniquee that can be applied to complicated sites like hillsides because of the types of foundations. One of my reservations about building somewhere was originally that it take up space that might not otherwise be used, however, if a certain number of new houses have to built each year anyway then I would much rather that we add to the number of them that are built in a conscientious and eccological way (plus it would be mint!).
I wouldn't rule out making use of an existing building though as long as we could still make it affordable. There are som amazing places dotted round Newcastle that I I've had dreams about becoming something amazing. How great would Pendower estate on Westgate Road be or that massive old building next to the police station in the same direction?
I am hoping for a medium sized bike journey into Newcastle. 30 minutes max, I'd say about 6 miles. These could be stretched if we were near public transport or a cycle route (such as the river routes). I don't want to be a long way from the city but I would consider further at a push and would take the risk for the right kind of project (probably).
The shared spaces and a sense of community are really important to me. I am keen on there being some shared facilities. I liked the idea that there would be some guest rooms in the shared facilities. Some shared workshop space would be something I'd really like to see. Some kind of non specific community space that could be set up to accomodate different things would be something I'd like. It might be a good idea to do some of these things in the form of non permanent structures (for planning permission and cost sake). Some covered outside space could be used for a lot of different things. I would like to be able to cook my own meals (whether this was in individual or shared cooking facilities) but I would like there to be some communal meals and I think it would be a particularly good thing if these were somehow combined with some of the meetings we would have to have so that even if there is something that is a chore that we need to get through we can still celebrate it afterwards.
Affordability is an issue for me. Both in the sense that currently I don't have a very healthy income (but am working on it) and in the sense that I would want the project to be accessible for others in a similar situation to myself whether this was early in the project or further in the future (I want it to remain affordable and not become a source of individual profit). The mutual home ownership scheme model seemed like something that might work for this especially the relationship with a CLT which means that the land would be held in trust for the purpose of this scheme and could only be used for afforadable schemes in the future (e.g increase in the value of the land not used for profit). (Combine this with building techniques that could be used on an unusualy plot that other developers might not be interested in and maybe that would increase the chance for success). A mutual home ownership model would have the flexibility for changes in peoples lives in the sense that there is equity involved.
The mutuality aspect is important to me. A not for profit cooperative was what I had initially envisaged when we started to think about housing. I'm more flexible about this now though.
Ideally this project would take into account how it would further the aims of groups that want to do something similar in the future (this is a wish but something that could take many form and not necessarily financial - I am totally flexible about this)
I would want the project to have some ecological aims. However for me the prospect of a good place to live is most important. What was mentioned at the Lilac talk about the importane of investing in the built space seemed right to me. There are funds around for making green improvements to buildings and I think that it would be a good idea to make a commitment to accessing these for future green improvements and spend what money we can on the build (obviously still making it as green as possible with what we have access to). I hope this makes sense.
Animals are not an issue for me I can take or leave them. Chickens are nice, I like goats. Growing space is similar I would really like to see this but would be willing to sacrifice some outdoorspace if it was necessary for other things. On the other hand I have dreams about building somesort of inside garden taking up a whole floor in a block of flats. No idea how, but this would be a very good thing. A greenhouse on the roof maybe. Perhaps it would save us money on issulation.
My main concerns about what we've done so far (I guess it's important to do this part as well as it's a facilitation workshop - this part isn't aimed at anyone it's just things that I've thought about). We've never really seemed to figure out how we are working as a group. We've not really done much on the process of decision making or when we know we have decided something (no set way of working). I think this has maybe made things difficult for us especially as there are quite a lot of us involved. This is something that I would place very high up if we had a next actions list or something. In fact I think I would probably put it at the top. I think that growing as a group will be problematinc untill we've established these things and decided what we want as it stands now, then we can worry about finding more people to share our vision.
P.S I want everything to be kite powered - http://www.makanipower.com/home/ when all our elcetricity comes from one of these (and not from an energy company even if all they use is kites) and we have some awesome warm homes on stilts I will be well pleased.
I'm sure the weekend will be really useful and I'm very sad to be missing it.
There are probably other aspects that I could mention but I'm running out of time to finish this so I'll wrap it up.
Hope everyone enjoys the weekend I'm sure it will be great.
Good luck everyone
hope to see you soon
regards
Harry
From: moun...@phonecoop.coop
To: northumberla...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [northumberlandhousingcoop] Meeting tomorrow night (Thursday)
Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 14:09:01 +0000
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