Introduction

One-planet solutions that support both ecological and human flourishing exist across all the primary domains of our lived experience—from low-impact housing to agroecological land-management, renewable energy systems and deeply egalitarian governance structures.

And as valuable as each of these solutions are in isolation, when combined they become more than the sum of their parts. Integrated to form a system of mutually reinforcing elements, they enable a way of life that supports not just sustainability, but genuine thriving—a richness of experience that our hearts know is possible, but which the prevailing culture consistently fails to deliver.

We believe it's time to harness these solutions, and weave them into living examples of high-quality low-impact living—demonstrating what is possible when we align our ways of being with the patterns and principles that sustain all life on Earth.

Overview

Imagine 15 households nestled within 40 to 50 acres of living landscape-each a beautiful, earth-rooted natural home sitting on its own half-acre plot, woven into the wider tapestry of shared land and collectively held infrastructure.

These dwellings look and feel like part of the land—curvy straw-bale walls mirroring the shapes and textures of the earth, living roofs that blur the boundary between structure and landscape. Here, low-impact natural building techniques and renewable energy systems work together to deliver both genuine affordability and deep sustainability, creating homes that hold rather than extract.

Across the site, agroecology and agroforestry practices transform the land into a flourishing mosaic— perennial food forests dripping with natural abundance, productive gardens teeming with life, cropping and grazing systems that heal the soil whilst providing necessary staples. This is land-tending that ensures not just high yields but genuine nature recovery, where biodiversity gains and soil regeneration go hand in hand with meeting human needs.

Underpinning it all, progressive yet robust governance structures-strong inclusivity frameworks, diversity commitments, coherence-building processes—and a culture of celebration ensure that this is a place where people from all walks of life can find belonging, security, and joy.

3. Community Infrastructure

In addition to private houses, the community will feature substantial low-impact shared infrastructure designed to foster social connection, support daily living, and enable community enterprises:

• Community Hub – A spacious circular structure (120m²) with an open-plan kitchen, dining area for 40+ people, and comfortable social space. This central gathering point will host community meals (3-5 times weekly), celebrations, meetings, and informal socialising. It will include a certified kitchen for preserving harvests, brewing, baking, and preparing value-added products for community use and potential sale. An adjoining schoolroom (30m²) will provide space for children's education and adult learning, while a separate quiet meeting room (25m²) will accommodate small group work and private conversations.
• Yoga/Workshop Space – A beautiful circular structure (100m²) adjoining the community hub, featuring natural light, wooden floors, and excellent acoustics. This multifunctional space will accommodate group yoga, dance, workshops, educational events, and can be made available to local community groups.
• Ceremonial Space – A traditional thatched roundhouse (50m²) set in a quiet corner of the community land. This space will provide a link with our ancestral past, and be a space for ceremony, deeper sharing, contemplation, and introspection.
• Bath House – An innovative facility featuring showers, baths, and a small sauna, all set within an environment that doubles as a heated growing/propagation space. The walls will be sculpted cob and the roof glass. The space and the hot water for bathing will be heated by a super-efficient thermal mass ‘rocket stove’ (potentially integrated into a district heating system). Grey water will be filtered through a reed bed system and reused for irrigation of plants, demonstrating tight closed-loop water management.
• Laundry House – A central washing facility with energy-efficient machines, drying room with heat recovery, and outdoor drying lines. This shared resource will significantly reduce the community's energy and water consumption compared to individual household laundry facilities. Again, Grey water will be filtered through a reed bed system and reused for irrigation of plants.
• Food Production Infrastructure – Including 4 large polytunnels (30m × 8m each), tool storage, processing area for harvests, and composting systems. These will support year-round food production for community consumption and market gardening enterprises.
• Office/Digital Hub – A dedicated office space with high-speed internet, shared computing resources, printing facilities, and workstations. This will support remote working, online learning, and community business administration while containing digital technology to designated areas.
• Guest House – A comfortable 3-bedroom eco-building for hosting visitors, family members of residents, potential new community members during trial stays, exiting community members as they transition out. Same design as the private houses.
• Volunteer Accommodation – An 8-bed bunkhouse with shared facilities for volunteers and WWOOF participants who contribute to community projects and food production. This will include a small kitchen, bathroom facilities, and comfortable common space.
• Glamping Site – A beautifully designed area featuring 6 small roundhouses, with shared facilities: composting toilets, solar showers, and a small cooking/dining space. The site will be thoughtfully integrated into the landscape with native plantings, permaculture gardens, and natural screening for privacy. Greywater filtration via reedbeds.
• Workshop/Maker Space – A practical facility for woodworking, repairs, and crafts, equipped with hand and power tools, workbenches, and material storage. This will support maintenance of community infrastructure, skill-sharing, and creative enterprises.
• Access Infrastructure – Carefully designed car park using permeable surfaces, wheelchair-accessible paths connecting key community areas, bicycle storage, and a comprehensive network of tracks and footpaths throughout the land.
• Energy Systems – Renewable energy infrastructure including solar PV array, battery storage, monitoring systems, and potentially small-scale wind or micro-hydro depending on site conditions.

All community buildings will be constructed using natural building techniques that showcase different sustainable approaches, creating living examples of low-impact construction. Infrastructure will be designed for inclusivity, ensuring accessibility for people of all ages and abilities.

4. Land

Site Size

Community settlements will occupy 40-50 acres in total. This site size allows for truly sustainable land management at a human scale.

More specifically, the site size has been carefully determined to balance several key factors:

• Sufficient scale for meaningful ecological restoration and biodiversity creation
• Adequate productive land to achieve significant food-sovereignty (estimated 60-80% of community food needs)
• Enough space for each household to have privacy, while also maintaining community cohesion
• A landscape large enough to support diverse ecosystems but small enough to maintain through largely manual methods
• Economic viability - balancing land costs with the need for productive acreage to support livelihoods
• Manageable maintenance requirements that won't overburden the community labour pool

Land Allocation

The total 40-50 acres will be allocated as follows:

• 10 acres for residential use
• 20 acres of agroecological land
• 10-20 acres of agroforestry + rewilding/conservation land

More specifically, the land will be used in the following ways:

• Residential - private and communal (10 acres)
  • 1/2 acre private plat for each household, totalling 7.5 acres for all 15 plots.
    • Private plots will contain a small eco-home (with a green living roof providing visual integration with the landscape as well as additional ecological habitat), individual rainwater harvesting, plus space for growing, crafting, and or recreation.
  • 2.5 acres for shared community infrastructure areas (communal buildings, common spaces, pathways, parking, enterprises)
• Agroecological - communal productive land (20 acres):
  • 4 acres horticulture with polytunnels
  • 8 acres arable + staple crops (wheat, barley, potatoes, beans)
  • 8 acres animal husbandry (eg, milking cows x 2, sheep x 20, pigs x 6, chickens x 100)
• Agroforestry / rewilding / conservation (10-20 acres):
  • 2 - 4 acres diverse food forest
  • 2 - 4 acres of short-rotation willow coppice
  • 3 - 6 acres of native woodland restoration
  • 3 - 6 acres of species-rich meadow

The allocation of land uses has been carefully balanced to create a mosaic ecosystem that supports both human needs and natural living systems. Integrated into this living mosaic will be wildlife ponds, nature corridors connecting habitats across the site, and hedgerows along boundaries and between different land use areas.

This integrated approach will allow the community to create beautiful, nature-embedded residential spaces, achieve substantial food production and enterprise capacity, while actively contributing to nature recovery. The land layout will be designed according to permaculture principles, with zones radiating outward from the central community area based on frequency of use and management intensity.

5. Communal Work

Every community member over 18 years of age will contribute 10 hours weekly to shared community work. This commitment ensures the community's self-sufficiency while distributing responsibilities equitably.

With approximately 25 adult residents, this creates a substantial resource of 250 community work hours weekly. Additionally, we'll host 2-8 volunteers throughout most of the year who will each contribute 15 hours weekly, providing an additional 30-120 hours of labour. This brings our total community work capacity to between 280-370 hours weekly, with an average of 325 hours.

These collective hours will be allocated across essential areas:

• Food Production (35%): Approximately 115 hours weekly dedicated to market gardening, food forest management, animal husbandry, harvest processing, and seed saving.
• Community Enterprises (20%): Around 65 hours weekly supporting the glamping site and other income-generating activities that sustain the community financially.
• Care Work (15%): Approximately 50 hours weekly for childcare, home education support, elder care, and emotional wellbeing initiatives.
• Infrastructure & Maintenance (15%): Around 50 hours weekly maintaining buildings, energy systems, water systems, and community spaces.
• Food Preparation (10%): Approximately 30 hours weekly preparing communal meals (3-5 weekly), preserving harvests, and managing food storage.
• Administration & Governance (5%): About 15 hours weekly handling community finances, external communications, and governance processes.

The community will recognise that different types of work require different energy levels and will create a balanced schedule accommodating various work styles, physical abilities, and personal circumstances. Flexibility will be built into the system to accommodate illness, personal needs, and life transitions.

Skills development will be integrated into the work system, with experienced members mentoring others to build community resilience and individual capacity. The work system will be designed to avoid burnout while ensuring the community's essential needs are met sustainably.

6. Business Activities

The community will establish a diverse portfolio of financially sustainable enterprises to achieve self-sufficiency, covering both communal expenses and the basic needs of members.

The primary enterprise will be a thoughtfully designed eco-tourism site featuring 6 beautiful roundhouse sleeping pods, each crafted using the same natural building techniques as the community buildings. This site will be strategically positioned in a tranquil corner of the community land—separate enough to provide guests with privacy yet close enough for efficient management by community members. The eco-tourism experience could include guided nature walks, workshops in sustainable skills, and optional community dining experiences.

Based on comparable eco-tourism businesses and a thorough market analysis, we project a minimum annual net profit of £120,000. This will cover approximately 80% of the community's essential operating expenses, including maintenance, utilities, and communal services.

Additional community enterprises will include:

• Educational workshops and courses in permaculture, natural building, land-based skills, and a range of other sustainability practices
• Restful nature-connection retreats
• A specialist natural building business offering low-impact garden rooms to the wider local area. The business will provide direct building services while showcasing the community's own structures as living examples of beautiful, affordable, and low-impact construction techniques.
• Food and craft production

Together, these enterprises will aim to generate a total community income in the region of £200,000 annually, ensuring complete financial self-sufficiency while providing meaningful work for both residents and the local community, aligned with ecological values. All profits will be reinvested into community infrastructure, ecological restoration, and ensuring the basic needs of all members are met.

7. External Work & Economic Contributions

To maintain the community's cohesion and ensure sufficient time for communal responsibilities and leisure, residents will be encouraged to limit external employment to a maximum of 10 hours per week. This guideline aims to balance individual career pursuits with the community's need for active participation and commitment to ‘slow living’ principles.

All members will contribute 10% of their income from external work to a communal fund. This fund will be used to enrich the cultural life of the community itself and the wider local community, through celebrations, creative projects, and social and educational outreach activities. This fund will specifically support initiatives that foster connections between our community and the broader local area, strengthening social bonds and creating opportunities for mutual learning and support.

External work that aligns with the community's values and can bring skills or connections back to the project will be particularly encouraged. Remote work arrangements that reduce commuting impact will be supported through the community's digital hub facilities.

The community will periodically review this policy to ensure it supports both individual wellbeing and collective flourishing, with flexibility for special circumstances such as seasonal work opportunities or career transitions.

8. Children and Family Life

Families with children of all ages will be actively welcomed and nurtured. We recognise that raising children in a supportive, nature-connected environment provides unique benefits for their development and wellbeing.

The community will dedicate specific resources to support families, including:

• A dedicated ‘schoolroom’ housed in the community hub, equipped with educational resources and art supplies
• Dedicated outdoor play spaces incorporating natural elements (tree houses, willow tunnels, mud kitchens) that encourage imaginative and nature-based play
• A structured childcare rota system within the community work allocation, ensuring children receive consistent care while allowing parents to fulfil other responsibilities
• Support for diverse educational approaches, including home education, forest school principles, and partnerships with local schools for families choosing mainstream education

Children will be gently encouraged to participate in age-appropriate community activities, allowing them to develop practical skills, environmental awareness, and social responsibility in an organic way. This might include tending to gardens, helping with animal care, participating in simple food preparation, or contributing to community arts projects.

Regular child-inclusive councils will ensure young voices are heard in community decision-making, fostering a sense of belonging and agency from an early age.

We will seek to collaborate with local educational initiatives to enhance children's learning opportunities. Partnerships with nearby forest schools, alternative schools, and mainstream schools could provide diverse educational pathways for children in the community. We'll also host regular skill-sharing sessions where local educators can exchange knowledge with our community's home education facilitators.

9. Food Production & Consumption

The community will strive for significant food self-sufficiency through a regenerative agroecological approach, with a target of producing 60-80% of our food needs on-site. This will combine the efficiency of market gardening with the biodiversity of food forests, the protein supply of small-scale animal husbandry, and common staple crops.

Production Systems: Our food production will be based on a small-scale diverse approach, comprising:

• 4 acres of intensive horticulture gardens using no-dig methods, producing vegetables year-round through succession planting, protected growing, and careful soil management, including polytunnels for season extension and seedling production
• 8 acres for staple crops
• Small-scale mixed animal husbandry on 8 acres, including 2 milking cows, 20 sheep, 6 pigs, and around 100 chickens
• 2-4 acres of food forest containing fruit and nut trees, perennial vegetables, and medicinal plants
• Mushroom cultivation in woodland areas and on specially prepared logs and substrates
• Honeybees

Soil Management: We will build and maintain healthy, living soil through:

• Extensive composting systems including hot composting, vermicomposting, and bokashi
• Minimal soil disturbance using no-dig methods throughout the gardens
• Cover cropping and green manures to maintain soil fertility
• Careful integration of animal systems for natural fertilisation
• Rotation of staple crops to prevent pest and disease build-up while maintaining soil fertility

Community Food Culture: Our approach to eating will emphasise:

• Shared meals 3-5 times weekly in the community hub
• A seasonal, balanced diet comprising plenty of plants, not much meat, and maximum variety
• Food preservation techniques including fermenting, dehydrating, and possibly cold storage to extend seasonal abundance
• Celebrations centred around harvest festivals and seasonal food traditions
• Skill-sharing workshops on food production, preparation, and preservation

External Sourcing: For foods we cannot produce, we will:

• Establish direct relationships with local organic farmers
• Create a bulk-buying system for additional staples, focusing on local, organic and fair-trade sources
• Limit imported foods to essential items not available locally

Food Justice: We recognise the importance of food security for all and will:

• Offer sliding-scale community-supported agriculture (CSA) shares to the wider community, including free food boxes for those experiencing high food insecurity
• Share surplus produce with local food banks and community initiatives
• Host educational events on growing food in small spaces
• Participate in seed-saving networks to preserve genetic diversity

Through this comprehensive approach, we will significantly reduce our food-related carbon footprint while building community resilience and food security. Our food systems will also serve as living classrooms for visitors and volunteers interested in replicable models of small-scale diversified food production.

10. Energy

The community energy policy will balance energy temperance with appropriate renewable technologies to create a resilient, low-carbon system that meets our needs comfortably yet sustainably.

Energy Conservation: Our first priority will be minimising energy requirements through:

• Passive design principles in all buildings (super-insulation, thermal mass, optimal glazing)
• Shared facilities that reduce individual household energy demands
• Seasonal living patterns that respond to natural light and temperature cycles
• Community-wide energy monitoring

Renewable Generation: We will implement a diverse mix of renewable technologies:

• Small solar PV array on ground-mounted systems
• Battery storage to maximise self-consumption and provide resilience
• Solar water heating
• Super-efficient ‘rocket stoves’ for cooking, space heating and hot water, potentially as part of a district heating system
• Micro-hydro or small-scale wind if site conditions permit

Fossil Fuel Policy: Fossil fuel use will be strictly limited across the community:

• No fossil fuel heating systems in any buildings
• Community vehicles will be electric
• Fossil fuel tools will be phased out and replaced with electric alternatives
• Essential fossil-fuel powered machinery will be used sparingly and only where it provides significant labour-saving advantages

Biomass Approach: Wood and other biomass will be managed carefully:

• Wood fuel will be used only in super-efficient rocket stoves and masonry heaters with minimal emissions
• Ceremonial fires will be permitted for community gatherings and celebrations
• All wood will be sourced from sustainable woodland management on site or locally (2 - 4 acres short-rotation willow coppice, plus carefully managed agroforestry areas throughout the site)

Energy Governance: The community will establish:

• An energy working group responsible for system maintenance and optimisation
• Transparent energy accounting and monitoring visible to all residents and the public
• Regular reviews of technology options as innovations emerge
• Educational resources on energy use for residents and visitors

This comprehensive approach will significantly reduce our ecological footprint while providing comfortable living conditions throughout the year.

11. Technology

Balanced Approach: Much like our energy policy, the community technology policy will combine thoughtful restraint with intentional adoption. We will critically assess technology based on its true value to community wellbeing rather than simply embracing or rejecting new innovations.

Labour-Saving Technologies: We will mindfully adopt labour-saving devices where they significantly enhance quality of life or reduce physical strain. Priority will be given to robust, repairable technologies with minimal environmental impact. Community ownership of certain tools and appliances (e.g., washing machines, power tools, tractor) will reduce overall consumption while ensuring access.

Digital Technology: Digital devices will be used purposefully, with clear boundaries to prevent excessive technology encroachment on community life:

• Wi-Fi will be limited to personal spaces and the communal office/digital hub
• Communal spaces will be designated as screen-free zones, either full-time or for specific times, to encourage face-to-face interaction

Communication Infrastructure: The community will maintain reliable internet access for essential services, remote work, education, and emergency communications. A shared landline and community mobile phone will be available for those seeking to reduce personal device usage.

Technology Assessment Framework: When considering new technologies, we will evaluate them against criteria including:

• Ecological footprint (embodied energy, recyclability, power consumption)
• Repairability and expected lifespan
• Genuine contribution to community wellbeing
• Alternatives, including low-tech or no-tech solutions

Tech-Free Zones and Times: The community may choose to designate certain areas and time periods as completely digital-free to encourage deep nature connection, mindfulness, and unmediated human interaction.

This approach aims to create a community where technology serves human needs and ecological values, rather than shaping our behaviour through uncritical adoption.

12. Water Management

Integrated Water Systems: Our community will implement a comprehensive water management strategy centred on conservation, harvesting, and thoughtful use of groundwater resources.

Primary Water Supply: A carefully sited borehole will serve as our main water source, providing fresh groundwater for drinking and cooking needs. This will be supplemented by:

• Professional hydrogeological assessment to determine optimal borehole location and sustainable extraction rates
• Regular water quality testing to ensure safety and purity
• Energy-efficient pumping system powered by our renewable energy infrastructure
• Installation of a UV treatment system for biological safety without chemical treatments

Rainwater Harvesting: Extensive collection systems will gather rainfall from all building roofs, storing it in:

• Underground cisterns with minimum 100,000 litre combined capacity
• Above-ground tanks integrated into building designs (minimum 5,000 litres per building)
• Passive landscape features including swales and ponds that slow, spread and sink water across the site

Greywater Recycling: All non-toilet wastewater will be filtered through:

• Kitchen greywater systems using grease traps and biological filtration
• Bathroom greywater directed to reed bed systems
• Laundry water filtered through wood chip and mycofiltration systems

Filtered greywater will be used for landscape irrigation, significantly reducing our freshwater demand.

Blackwater Treatment: Human waste will be managed through:

• Compost toilets in most dwellings, creating valuable fertiliser for non-food plants
• Small-scale constructed wetland systems for any flush toilets required for accessibility
• Monitoring systems to ensure zero contamination of groundwater or surface water

Conservation Measures: Water consumption will be minimised through:

• Low-flow fixtures in all buildings (aerating taps, efficient showerheads)
• Water monitoring systems with visual displays to encourage mindful usage
• Shared laundry facilities with water-efficient machines
• Drought-tolerant landscaping and mulched garden beds to reduce irrigation needs

Water Governance: A dedicated water working group will:

• Monitor usage patterns and implement conservation measures
• Maintain all water systems and conduct regular quality testing
• Develop educational materials for residents and visitors
• Liaise with local authorities regarding water regulations and best practices

Through this integrated approach, we estimate meeting a large portion of our water needs through harvesting and recycling, significantly reducing pressure on groundwater resources while creating resilience against drought conditions.

13. Transport

Sustainable Mobility Strategy: Our community transport policy aims to dramatically reduce carbon emissions whilst enhancing connectivity with the local area. While our exact transport arrangements will depend on our precise location - ideally, the site will be within comfortable walking and easy cycling distance from the town - we plan to implement a comprehensive sustainable mobility strategy centred around four key principles:

• Reducing overall travel needs through thoughtful community design and on-site amenities
• Creating a robust resource-sharing system with electric vehicles and bicycles
• Enhancing community integration through transport partnerships
• Prioritising accessibility for all mobility levels

Our transport strategy includes these specific components:

Car Reduction: We'll maintain just 4 shared electric vehicles for our community (1 per 8 adults), including:

• A small electric van for deliveries
• Two compact electric cars for everyday use
• An accessible electric minibus for group travel or wider community use

Active Transport: Our site will feature:

• All-weather footpaths throughout the community
• Covered bicycle storage
• A shared fleet including cargo and electric-assist bicycles
• A bicycle maintenance workshop

Public Transport Integration:

• Negotiate for a local bus stop near our entrance
• Create a sheltered waiting area with updated timetables
• Schedule regular shuttle services to local, aligned with market days and key community events

Visitor Management:

• Provide comprehensive public transport information
• Offer train station collection
• Incentivise car-free arrival with modest discounts on eco-retreats and courses

We will seek to ensure our systems integrate effectively with existing networks while prioritising accessibility for all mobility levels. We'll extend our transport-sharing beyond our boundaries by partnering with local car clubs and developing shuttle services for neighbours with reduced mobility, ensuring our transport solutions genuinely serve the wider community's needs rather than just our residents.

14. Inclusivity

Our community will be built upon a strong foundation of inclusivity, diversity and accessibility in all aspects of its design and functioning. We recognise that intentional communities have historically lacked diversity, and we are committed to addressing this proactively.

Key aspects of our inclusivity approach include:

• Economic inclusivity through our tiered buy-in model, ensuring people from different socioeconomic backgrounds can participate
• Physical accessibility in all communal buildings and pathways, with at least two fully accessible residential units designed for residents with mobility challenges
• Cultural inclusivity through actively seeking diversity in membership and creating governance structures that amplify marginalised voices
• Age inclusivity, welcoming people across all generations and designing spaces and activities that cater to different age groups

We will establish an Inclusivity Committee responsible for ongoing assessment of our practices and implementing improvements.

15. Wider Community Integration

Our community will be an active, contributing member of the wider local area, rather than an isolated enclave. We recognise that successful integration requires intentional effort and mutual benefit.

Key integration strategies include:

• Regular open days and seasonal celebrations that welcome neighbours and local residents to experience the community
• Active participation in local governance, with community representatives attending town council meetings and contributing to local initiatives
• Partnership with local organisations to align our efforts and to share our knowledge and resources with existing sustainability initiatives in the region
• A dedicated community liaison role responsible for maintaining positive relationships with neighbours, local businesses, and governing bodies

We will seek to establish formal agreements with local schools and colleges to provide educational visits and hands-on learning opportunities in sustainable living practices. These educational partnerships will extend to adult education through collaborations with local organisations.

Our business activities will be designed to complement rather than compete with existing local enterprises, with a focus on filling gaps in the local economy rather than duplicating services. We will establish a comprehensive Local Circular Economy Policy, with a formal commitment to sourcing at least 80% of all materials, food, and services from within a 30-mile radius of local. This approach will:

• Strengthen the local economy by keeping money circulating within the community
• Build resilient supply chains that are less vulnerable to global disruptions
• Reduce our carbon footprint through minimised transportation emissions
• Support local craftspeople, farmers, and businesses, creating a mutually beneficial relationship

Additionally, we will maintain a comprehensive database of local suppliers and their sustainability credentials. Our procurement process will prioritise businesses that demonstrate strong environmental and social values, particularly those that are community-owned or cooperatively structured. Through these practices, we aim to become a model for how localised, circular economies can thrive while regenerating both community wealth and ecological health.