About the Organisation
The Well is a Community Interest Company established to provide affordable, sustainable housing for an intergenerational community, with a particular focus on supporting young people leaving care transition to independent living, as well as older individuals facing isolation, all within a regenerative, nature based setting.
Formally established as a company in January 2024 after years of research and development, The Well is currently operated by four directors and an advisory board. It is supported by industry innovators Bristol Housing Festival and leading youth homelessness charity 1625 Independent People. The organisation has received funding from Community Led Homes West to develop its Business Plan, along with a private donation that has facilitated architectural scoping and financial modelling for a proposed new site.
The site also includes two acres of surrounding land, which The Well intends to manage ecologically. Plans involve enhancing biodiversity, planting a community orchard for public use, developing small scale regenerative agriculture, and utilizing the green space for therapeutic purposes, particularly benefiting the care leavers within the community.
Request details:
Blackmoor Farm is currently on the open market, with pre-application planning advice already secured for the conversion of the house and outbuildings into six separate units.
The Well’s proposed development includes:
- Dividing the existing farmhouse into two separate three-bedroom homes
- Converting one of the larger barns into a four-bedroom home
The purchase and development will be financed through a combination of cash deposits, loan stock/bonds, grants, and secured lending. Upon completion, the three homes will be affordably rented or sold under shared ownership, creating within them 3-4 rooms for young people leaving care. The Well will retain ownership of the land and any unsold shared ownership properties, ensuring long-term community benefit and the ability to develop three more units (one family home and two flats for older people) within the second phase.
The Well has a number of lenders who are willing to support the project, however they will require the site to have planning permission prior to lending, as it is not currently a mortgageable asset. In order to create time to submit a planning application to the council for the development of the initial 3 units, they have approached the vendor with the offer of an option agreement. In return for the vendor taking the property off the market for a set term, in line with standard practice, they would offer to purchase the land at the asking price in addition to a non-refundable deposit, incrementally increasing in line with the time taken to secure planning.
Therefore, the organisation would greatly appreciate the following Pro Bono support to make this innovative vision a reality:
1) Legal Support to get an Option Agreement in place, in order to secure the site.
2) Site Surveys to aid the swift submission of a Planning Permission application.
3) Planning consultant support.
Timeline:
ASAP