This cohousing development in Leeds proves there are better ways of living but help is needed to make it mainstream

Cohousing makes sense on every level and yet it is still rare in the UK due to huge amount of time and effort required by the groups that seek to create them.

The process demands many unpaid hours dealing with everything from land acquisition to raising funds for the build while also tackling bureaucracy and setbacks.

It took members of Chapeltown Cohousing 13 years to create ChaCo, a £5.3 million cohousing scheme with 29 homes including houses and apartments plus a shared garden but it is now up and running with all properties occupied and looking and feeling like a utopia.

There is also a large common house with a communal kitchen for preparation of the weekly shared meals for those who want to attend, a dining/general space for meetings, groups, children’s discos, film nights and other events plus a laundry, food store and two guest rooms. There is also a workshop on site.

Twenty of the homes are shared ownership varying from 25 per cent to 99 per cent equity and nine are rented. Prices start from £90,000 for a one-bedroom flat to £230,000 for a four bedroom house and all have a 999 year lease, i.e. virtual freehold.

Choosing who could live there was ChaCo members decision taking into account a connection to Chapeltown along with diversity in all its forms and a wish to embrace cohousing principles.

That it was all worthwhile is indisputable even though there were a number of setbacks that tested the mettle.

Ali and Bill Phelps, who have lived in Chapeltown for 53 years, were among those instrumental in helping to set up Chapeltown Cohousing, which was formed after friends read about a successful cohousing project in Stroud and went to visit it.

Around the same time the LILAC cohousing scheme in Bramley, Leeds, was nearing completion.

Inspiration abounded and after ChaCo members demonstrated that they had support from the local community, Leeds City Council agreed to allow the group to buy an acre of council land in Chapeltown adjacent to a busy trunk road.

The stars were aligned and the next step was raising money to pay for the construction, which came from a Homes England grant, gifts, Ecology Building Society loans and the issue of Loanstock bonds bought by investors keen to put their money into ethical ventures, while purchase of the properties and rents ensure payback.

Ali says: “The journey was neither smooth nor quick. It took the council a year to decide which bit of land it would sell us and after Homes England awarded us a grant, it took another year for them to write the legal document we had to sign before we could access the money.”

Building got underway but the main contractor went into administration and the second firm hired went the same way but the ChaCo team ploughed on.

Their homes are built to Association of Environmentally Conscious Builders standards with plenty of insulation. Triple glazed windows keep noise and draught at bay, solar panels generate electricity and MHVR units are also in use all contributing to low energy bills and a huge reduction in carbon emissions.

Ali points out that this way of living is not for everyone as consensus is key so you have to accept you won’t always get your own way and that includes choosing fellow residents taking diversity including ethnicity, education, wealth, age and belief, into account to ensure a truly mixed community.

“We also chose the colour of the bricks and the colour of the doors collectively by vote, among many other things,” says Ali.

She and Bill are reaping the reward of their endeavours and live in a duplex apartment at ChaCo.

We have lovely homes and a micro neighbourhood. The garden is a great for children and every day I see neighbours chatting or working on the garden.

“We have meals once or twice a week in the commonhouse and we pop over there to pick up post or make plans with one of the many working groups.”

Tom Chigbo and his partner Alice, who have young children, joined the Chapeltown cohousing group in 2018 and are also part of the new community.

“We love it too,” says Tom.” It’s a safe, friendly and exciting environment for our children and they are very sociable and confident as a result. There are rules and responsibilities here but it’s empowering.

“I’d like it to see co-housing become mainstream with more government support because it’s a lovely and supported way of living.”

Ali can only think of one issue: “You have to make extra time if you are going out because there’s always someone to talk to.”

As for what was learned perhaps most important is that some things are worth waiting for.