•Futurebuild (www.futurebuild.co.uk/about; NB – this is the successor of Ecobuild).
•Grand Designs Live (www.granddesignslive.com).
•in the pages of key magazines: Self Build & Design (https://pocketmags.com/selfbuild-and-design-magazine); Grand Designs (www.granddesigns.magazine.co.uk); Build It (www.self-build.co.uk); Homebuilding and Renovating (www.homebuilding.co.uk).
Further reading
AMA Research (2016), ‘Self-Build Housing Market Report: UK 2016–2020 Analysis’, www.amaresearch.co.uk.
Benson, M. (2014), ‘Creating a Nation of Selfbuilders: Interim Project Report’,
Department of Sociology, Goldsmiths University, London.
Borer, P. & Harris, C. (1998), Out of the Woods: Ecological Designs for Timber Frame Self Build, Centre for Alternative Technology Publications, Machynlleth, Wales.
Brindley, M. (2017), The Housebuilders Bible, Edition 12, Ovolo Publications, Milton Keynes, UK.
Broome, J. (2007/8), The Green Self Build Book, Green Books, Totnes, Devon, UK.
Community Self Build Agency (1994), Building Lives by Building Homes, CSBA, Bristol, UK.
Highlands Small Communities Housing Trust (2016), ‘Highland Self Build Loan Fund (HSBLF) Fact Sheet’, [email protected].
Matthews, R. (2002), All About Selfbuild: A Comprehensive Guide to Building Your Own Unique Home, Blackberry Books, Godshill, Isle of Wight, UK.
National Custom & Self Build Association (2011), ‘An Action Plan to Promote the Growth of Self-build Housing’, Swindon, UK.
Ospina, J. (1994), Self-Build for Rent: Choice, High Standards and Affordability, Co-operative Housing in South-East London, London.
Scottish Government (2016), Self and Custom Build Housing Pilot Challenge Fund Prospectus, Scottish Government, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Three Dragons (2016), ‘Research Paper: Self Build and Custom Build Housing’, http://three-dragons.co.uk.
Wilson, W. (ed) (2017), ‘Self-Build and Custom-Build Housing (England)’, UK Parliament Briefing Paper No.06784, House of Commons Library, London.
Wilson, W. & Heath, S. (eds) (2014), ‘Self-Build and the Custom Build Housing Sector’, UK Parliament, Briefing Paper No. 06784, House of Commons Library, London.
2.2 Co-operatives, ‘mutuals’ and tenant management bodies
The ‘co-operative’ ethos has been hugely influential in the history of political change in the UK and has been a core determinant for shaping egalitarian ways that people and organisations might operate together. It has been crucial in creating property that is owned and/or controlled by a democratic membership and engagement of all the resident households, including where tenants and leaseholders are collectively responsible for managing local homes.
Clarification of terms
•A co-operative is ‘an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically controlled enterprise’ (International Cooperative Alliance).
•A housing co-operative is ‘a body that owns and manages its homes in a completely democratic manner’, usually identified by two common factors:
-a membership where those who live in the homes are required or are encouraged to become members – in some cases alongside other local community members;
-that the community membership democratically controls the housing organisation in some way through general meetings of the organisation (Confederation of Co-operative Housing).
•Primary co-ops are individual and autonomous co-operative organisations controlled by their internal membership bodies.
•Secondary co-ops are bodies established by active collaboration between primary co-operatives (at times in tandem with other supporters, such as local housing associations) to promote, service and sustain the operations of housing co-operatives through advisory, training, management and development services.
•A Tenant Management Organisation is ‘a means by which council or housing association tenants and leaseholders can collectively take on responsibility for managing the homes they live in’ and manage other associated neighbourhood services. (National Federation of Tenant Management Organisations).
•Arms-length Management Organisations (ALMOs) are housing management bodies established to give tenants more influence in how local authority housing estates are managed (National Federation of Arms-Length Management Organisations).
•‘Mutual’ bodies – ‘fully mutual’ co-operatives are bodies where only tenants or prospective tenants can be members and control its affairs (Radical Routes).
•The Community Gateway model is for ‘tenant-controlled membership-owned organisations, operating democratically on a large scale’, designed for council housing stock transfer that allows tenants to take greater control over their homes and neighbourhoods communities (Community Gateway Association).
•Model rules are governing documents set out in the form of ‘template documents’ that can be used by new organisations to be established on the appropriate legal footing (Co-operatives UK).
Key appeal (co-ops and TMOs)
The percentage of co-operative housing that exists in the UK is about 0.6% of the housing stock – that is, just under 10,000 co-operatively owned and managed homes (this could be contrasted with around 1,600,000 managed by the housing association sector). The attraction of ‘co-operative’ housing is the transparent way the co-operative body holds the title to all property and dwellings used by its members. The maintenance and repair of properties is undertaken with a focus on maintaining the homes to excellent standards, not to make a financial profit. Property is a common asset for all members, provided through rental agreements and tenures, and not open for purchase by any individuals.
Co-operatives are incorporated as bodies that usually require their tenant members to purchase a nominal share – invariably for £1. These are not, however, tradable for a monetary figure (future sale will only be a redemption back to the co-op body), and even where a co-operative’s rules may permit members to have more than one share, a co-op’s core principle for governance will be that of ‘one member, one vote’.
The long-established Co-operative Principles, as defined and revised by resolution of the Centennial Congress of the International Co-operative Alliance in September 1995, are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. These are consciously rooted in values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others, and are traditionally set out within the following guidelines on how co-ops should operate:
1Voluntary and open membership (open to all persons willing to accept the responsibilities of membership).
2Democratic member control (members actively participate in setting policies and making decisions).
3Member economic participation (contributing