Councils should make it ‘simpler’ to establish cohousing communities, report says

Local government should make more land available cheaply for groups who want to set up cohousing communities, a report launched in the House of Commons today says.

The report, authored by researchers working with the UK Cohousing Network, explained that cohousing could be more widely adopted if it were easier for groups to get planning, financial and development support.

People living in cohousing communities share facilities but retain their own private dwellings. The report described them as places with a ‘neighbourly, supportive lifestyle’.

While interest in this style of living is growing, the researchers discovered groups often have problems finding suitable land and then developing their plans.

The report urges local authorities to encourage cohousing by making more land available cheaply, particularly in urban areas, for such communities.

It also calls on social and private developers to