Minutes for General Meeting 5^th April 2009

 

 

 

Chaired by Julian, minutes by Rob

 

Agenda items

 

Introduction for new people

Review of membership

Committee feedback

New farm proposal

Break-out sessions to discuss new proposal

Set next General meeting

 

Agenda items proposed but not met

 

New logo

Review when set/have meetings

Charrette dates

Announcements

 

 

Present:

 

Tara Maria Jim

Julian Sue Paulina

Alan Bella Alex

Rob Fallon Roma

Matt Asha

Lara Nikita

 

Later attendance:

 

Laura Brendan

Gabrielle Charlie Rosco

Patricia Dylan

Eleanor Lorna

 

 

Introduction for new members

 

The eco-village project was started around a year and a half ago, around a vision for an eco-village of 100-150 adults and children. To be a mixed use community, residential/commercial, rurally set within 1hr travel of Brighton.

To exist sustainably with the land each other and spiritually.

 

Hence the formulation of the principles purpose and vision (PPV) – see definition and full outline on the ning site.

 

Full membership means consciously committing to agree with PPV.

 

At present, work is focused on exploring ways to raise money to buy land and planning investigation. All the answers for the planning concerns have not been obtained.

 

This is an ambitious project and will possibly be the biggest of its type seen in the UK.

 

Decisions around governance and communication are done by consensus decision making. These are passed only when all agree, thus everyone holds equal power.

 

In December, an initiative to obtain a property on the market, even though a lot of the eco –village structure was not in place, led to a lot of valuable learning, but eventually the project was out bid by a property developer. The event highlighted the relationship between planning consent (council/legal) and how this affects the project’s financial plan. To move forward with the project it is felt getting the balance between these two points is crucial.

 

There is no set idea as to the form of housing the project makes, and is open to mixed use i.e., co-housing, private, renting, and sharing.

 

See PPV

 

Review of membership

 

Two types

1. online – facilitated on the www.villagejourney.ning.com site, as a social forum for those casually interested and for giving feedback

2. full – those that can take and block decisions on a consensus process.

membership constitutes agreeing to attend 1 meeting, paying £5 month fee and to uphold the PPV

 

A ready list of full members exists by priority date, for housing first.

 

The Lilac eco-village project was highlighted by Alan as a project further evolved with a high membership and that we may learn from their structure.

 

Membership policy is up for review.

 

Committee feedback -of those present

 

Champion role not clear.

 

Legal Matt

What is best legal structure to incorporate into?

-charity

-private limited company

-indusrtrial/provenadnce so…………………………….

-community interest (essentially a plc)

 

Any of these can be a co-operative.

A call was made for more advice and support.

The Lilac group was put forward by Alan to propose the head of there project to come and deliver a presentation.

 

Heart School Tara

 

Its vision is still evolving; defining its legal structure has been over whelming for Tara and a wish for more committed people to get it moving.

 

Financial Matt

 

Still need to define a way to buy the land. A business plan is outlined but still work in progress, as it evolves with the project, especially in relation to planning issues.

 

Matt feels that people don’t like talking money.

-how much we each have/want to contribute with which legal structure in place to

protect their investment

Who can help develop/collaborate with this?

 

A questionnaire was sent out late last year which included question about money, it was not fully responded to, and that maybe it could be resurrected to clarify this point more.

 

Belle raised the point of ‘social sector initiatives’, and there funding profile, Matt responded that a whole range of structures have been considered, but more research and not enough know how has limited research.

 

Communications

 

Logo has not moved forward from last OC due to possible change in proposal.

 

The web ease of use is being addressed with proposals happening to improve its access ands navigation.

 

Alan called a ‘temperature test’ on the site –it was fed back

- it is not clear

-what the real name of the site is

-where is its centre

 

Warning that the site will change! And plan to be decided next meeting.

A link is present on communication group to look at the scratch site model.

 

It was noted that the original ning site was principally set up for people to communicate on, and was not intended as a proper web site.

 

 

 

New farm proposal Tara

 

Current standing PPV read out, and paraphrased.

 

New proposal comes from a vision to re formulate the project, principally around issues of finance raising and planning issues.

Not much is present in the original PPV upon the issue of land and food production. Tara feels that the importance of this is mounting in light of the current economic climate and peak oil. Hence a need for good food, water and soil.

 

The connection to the land is of high important and developing this relationship is present through all aspects of the village project.

 

The new proposed PPV was read out - ‘home community farm’.

 

Full documentation is needed behind much of the points raised by the new proposal, e.g. plant use for soil regeneration.

 

Discussions on new proposal

 

Concerns

 

Julian

- appreciates attempt to simplify and move forward, and increase awareness of food

on the agenda

- personally his choice/interest is co-housing not a farm

- sceptical that new proposal will get round planning

- does not want to be reliant on temporary dwellings

Asha

- no concerns, agrees on new proposal

Sue

- does not visualise herself in temporary dwellings

Nikita

- feels would be difficult to house 150 people in temp. dwellings

Polima

- raised point of time allocation to farm work, and how to meet this if it cannot be

met for some reason

Maria

- no concerns, agrees on new proposal

Lorna

- no concerns

Rob

- proposal made more flexible to enable it to include points of concern

Matt

- what is meant by temp. dwellings

Jim

- planning concerns, what is acceptable to pass

- we don’t have time to fight for year to get permission

 

 

Tara

- what does a farm mean?

- housing and crops separate or all around or in own lots and communal areas

Dylan

- that we all have the option to grow food separately

- planning issue viability- that they will wish to supply services, i.e. roads, etc.

Laura

- does not know enough about planning re temp. dwellings

Roma

- there is no precedent for this sort of thing

- start small (illegally?) and grow!

Eleanor

- feels that food production is important to support the community

- echoes concerns, don’t know enough, need to investigate further

Charlie

- agrees a farm is strong part of vision

- temp. dwellings difficult option but may be a way in

- to go with a vision aligned with sanity

Bella

- Agrees with proposal, but will be difficult.

Alan

- what are temp. dwellings. In the original ’ to live in beautiful eco-village’ does not

want to live in a camp! Should be diverse and not dominated by temp. dwellings

- starting point of original village plan does not state about food production

- no magic bullet for planning

- we have to integrate with the local communities, there will be a reaction to landing

of 100-150 people

- if we buy a farm, it may be in the long term planning might not be possible

- other initiatives have a multi site/ multi-functionality structure

Lara

- change wording and drop ‘temp’

- beneficial to split into different sites

Patricia

- food production is important

 

Tara’s response

 

Temporary dwellings

- there will be a document to follow to support the proposal, following the 3 phase

plan; 1) develop existing buildings 2) more people in new dwellings 3) construct

overall plan with businesses

- so far outline planning is relatively clear for a small no. of dwellings

- for larger development to look at national planning level

- meetings are looking at how to get people on the land in the first instance while

laying down the infra-structure

- are buildings without permanent foundations, regardless of construction materials

- we will need temporary dwellings during the construction phases

- need team to research temp. dwellings issue more fully

- attention to monies has been on generating funds from building. More discussion

needed regarding food production

- planners want to see certain things 1) agricultural based businesses 2)education

3)their definition of sustainability e.g. transport, community allotments

 

Resolution

1. temporary dwellings have no permanent structure and have always been a part of the development process

2. research planning

3. us of land to create agricultural businesses

4. the school/ education program will integrate us into the local community

5. the allotment idea will integrate us into the local community

 

Break out group feed back

 

- will not farm animals but feasible to on a personal dwelling space, this is based on

meat production carries with it a high land usage

- important to grow your own personal food and one’s relationship to the earth

- ‘need foot in the door’

- if over produce can sell and support local community – there is a demand for local

organic produce.

- funding felt available for education/perma-culture/eco-issues

- research planning issues/meet the planners!

- define planning scale 30/40-150 (drip feed the truth?)

- research other initiatives doing similar projects e.g. land matters/ WOOF/ Findhorn

- a communal food production vision / 0 food miles

- consider multiple site

- co-define the member’s time commitment before we have land

- edit old vision rather than re-invent

- how define temp. dwellings in proposal plan

 

Conclusions

 

1) New group ‘Community Investigation’(?)

To visit and research other projects, champion by Alan. Other members Laura/Brendan/Patricia/Julian

 

2)Financial

Matt to champion fund raising and site funding initiatives

Gabrielle new member

 

3)Planning

Roma was stated as champion, but she was not present at this time.

Alan and Gabrielle new members

Investigate issues raised

 

4) Education

Work in progress

 

5)Vision

Tara to champion, to re-define and edit

 

6) Site planning

Lorna to champion

Investigate size, stages and time commitments from members to support the

community food and fuel production, along with water and sewage needs

 

Next general meeting

 

9^th May - venue to be confirmed by Rob