New project hopes to build houses in back gardens

NewStart magazine reports that a new project in Bristol has proposed to take advantage of ‘micro-plots’ of spare land scattered across back gardens and between buildings to help address the housing crisis.  We Can Make, has been awarded just over £200,000 from the Nationwide Foundation and Power to Change, and the money will be used to work with a pilot neighbourhood in Bristol – Knowle West – to co-design and create practical tools that make it easier, faster and cheaper to develop on micro-plots. We Can Make believe that in Knowle West, a low-density 1930s estate in South Bristol, there are over 2,000 potential micro-sites where a 1-2 bedroom home could fit. Although not all of these sites will be suitable, We Can Make estimates that 10-15% could be developed. This would create a significant supply of land for affordable housing where and when it’s needed.