Ellesmere buyers may have say on design of new homes
Home buyers in Ellesmere could be among the first in Shropshire to design their own homes, village layout and community facilities.
The scheme is part of a project put forward by A Fairer Society, which hopes to transform the Old Station Yard with potential house buyers custom designing the plans.
The 4.35-acre £1.5 million site off Brownlow Road, currently has outline planning consent for 57 new homes, including the transformation of the Old Station House into apartments.
However, Peter Burke, one of the founders of AFS, says under its management, buyers will be able to help custom-build the houses, and potentially turn the grade-II listed building into something like a community centre or cafe.
He said: "We have an opportunity if we work quickly to progress a scheme that would see home owners play an integral role in designing the homes and agreeing on community facilities within the site.
"Under our proposals home owners will have the opportunity to customise the internal layout and influence room layouts, sizes, fixtures and fittings etc, to suit their way of life.
"Subject to planning consent, we also envisage that home owners will determine how any public outdoor space is used, whether as allotments, a play area, community garden or something else."
The scheme is part of a community-led housing approach, which Mr Burke says draws on ideas from Denmark, where intentionally created villages live self-sufficiently.
He hopes it would see the station building saved from being turned into apartments.
He said: "Again, home owners and the wider community would play a fundamental part in deciding how the former station building will be used and run, we are engaging with people so they tell us what's needed, it really is exciting to think what's possible."
This will be the first project the Liverpool-based company takes on with plans to secure land elsewhere in the country. He said: "
We would expect people to pay a registration fee to secure a plot and a deposit before the build begins. Prior to any deposit being paid they would take part in three community visioning events focused on the overall vision, the design of the home and the design of the community."
AFS has arranged a meetin at Ellesmere Town Hall on July 23,at 10am and 1pm.
