Bridge Farm is a space where residential, land and community hub aspects live together.
In 2018, Bridge Farm was bought by AVAG to develop a new community-led housing project, as they did successfully in the past at the Yard in St. Werburghs. Differently from the first project where the site was a brownfield scaffolding yard, AVAG wanted to integrate the valuable “bluefinger” agricultural soil into their plans for Bridge Farm.
Lots of people and positive energies have gathered on the land and lots of voluntary energy has been offered to start the regeneration of the site. A vegetable garden has been born, two community barns have been rejuvenated, animals graze and lie on the farm once again, and community meals and pizza nights are taking place.
Alongside land work days and open meetings, self-organised working groups explored and narrowed down ideas for the project. What were the values and vision? What will be the decision-making processes? What does it mean to be a community-led housing project? What does it mean to be truly affordable? How many people can this land accommodate without compromising the quality of the land?
After a process of acknowledgment of the growing potential of the site and in increasing recognition of the twin threats of climate change and ecological collapse, Bridge Farm – and the extended Bridge Farmily – is working to integrate housing, food growing, community convening and stewarding wildlife.
