I am officially retired after a 40+ years' career as a teacher, lecturer and researcher in Higher Education.
I am experienced at engaging people in their learning and I know the importance of ‘right relations’ and the potency and fun of effective groups. I've also observed the pain and confusion which can be caused by unclear or inauthentic communication. This led me to train as a mediator.

Intentional Community
For many years I have longed to live in community whilst also retaining my own privacy behind my front door. In Kings Langley we tried to achieve this some years ago when a local farm came up for sale and the community raised £2m to buy it. Unfortunately we were outbid and all the money was returned to those who contributed.

I have a strong sense that NOW is the time to have another go! So, here is my vision, shared by members of the local community and friends from further afield. As it develops and takes shape I shall update information.

Our vision as an intentional community is to live more sustainably in the full sense, treading as lightly as we can upon the planet, both individually and as a group. Serving something greater than our own needs, we aim to create an environment that is nourishing and diverse whilst deepening our spiritual awareness in everyday life and work.
(Taken directly from Threshold Centre Cohousing Community which has been in existence for two decades and which we visited as part of our research.)

We would like to build:
  • 20 – 30 passivhaus homes 
  • 2/3 owned at market value
  • 1/3 subsidised/affordable bought or rented 1 and 2 bed housing (to be retained as such in perpetuity) to enable those who could otherwise not afford to live in the area.
  • All residents to sign an agreement to uphold the Intentional Community ethos
  • Common selection process to be used for all residents
  • Legal documents to be signed in event of breach of contract (these exist in most community set ups)
  • Shared ‘hub’ with hall, kitchen, toilets plus small guest accommodation for community use and for hire.
  • A few small units for start-up businesses and a repair shop etc.
  • Designated space for health and wellbeing practitioners to deliver on social prescribing from local surgeries
Community benefits
  • Space for cultural, social, health and business uses - could become flagship and model of ‘excellence’ for Dacorum and Herts to meet green targets (Health hub for community-referral / social prescribing)
  • KL Business Plan identifies a shortage of 1 and 2 bed accommodation. This project could address this in a small way.
  • A mixture of freehold and leased accommodation will enable living space for young people and others who could not otherwise afford to live in the area
  • As a low impact community a holistic, aesthetically pleasing Passivhaus design would be used (ultra low/zero energy for space heating or cooling). An ethical company such as Bioregional to take on both design and build with their partner or another developer.
  • space for communal vegetable gardens (ideally on top of ground-source heating pipes)
  • KL would become more resilient and future-proofed
  • Nature reserve with play areas for children and natural pond/reservoir from bore hole
  • Access open to the wider community linking KL to existing footpaths
  • all the above enhances health and well being
Practical considerations
  • Land to be owned by the Community (possibly as Land Trust or a  Community Interest Company (CIC) to ensure it remains as a community asset and is not subject to potential demands from Council or other agents
  • Lottery Climate Action Fund to be considered for initial development / planning stages and feasibility study to ensure that the increase in biodiversity will more than compensate for any building on green land
Lancaster Cohousing's short video describes pretty much what we are trying to achieve. http://www.lancastercohousing.org.uk/

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