A HEARTWARMING, HUMAN-interest story for Bristol was effectively smashed on 10th July by local govermint – surprise! To echo the fate of previous community-empowerment schemes in the face of red tape (such as the Snow Hill Skills and Enterprise Initiative in Bath two years before: ever heard of them? Thought not), the BS3 Project dreamed a dream of sustainable community, hoping to regenerate the old City of Bristol College and adjoining open land of Bedminster’s Northern Slopes – due for developer sell-off/sell-out. Instead of just another housing estate or sterile harbourside, BS3 envisioned a range of affordable and self-build housing options alongside work, training arts and recreation facilities, allotments, low-impact construction and renewable power… Growing Space, Community Space, Eating Space… Maannn, this is good shit! But, even though they spent a year finding financial partners and ticking the 100-odd compliance boxes on the acquisition form… Whatever they were smoking, the landowners didn’t want it, and instead claimed they were calling off the tender: apparently, there wasn’t enough entries to make the competition fair. And the moral of the story? If you want to play nice, you can fuck off.
https://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/24008
So the authorities want a prairie of identiboxes built to the lowest possible standards and maximum possible density? Why? You can see those anywhere in the country, and predictably some of them will be the slums of the future. We must stand up for self-build, quality and sustainability in one.