A village to call our own

IT started with the groundbreaking Dublin Food Co-Op. Many of the founders of the ecovillage in Cloughjordan, Co Tippeary, were also members of the Dublin Co-Op.

They wanted to do more than just organise food differently. They wanted to set up a model for living differently.

The core group came together in 1999 to form a member-owned company called Sustainable Projects Ireland Ltd (SPIL).

In October 2004, the North Tipperary County Development Plan provided for the extension of Cloughjordan town to include “new mixed-residential development” and “sustainable community”.

Infrastructure work began in September 2007 and the first houses were started two years later.

The 67-acre site has 132 serviced sites, 75% of which are sold. There are 24 households occupied, an additional 38 under construction and five more due to start this year.

Competitive build prices can be done for roughly €1,000 per square meter: so a 150 sq m house costs €150,000. Some higher spec, turn-key houses with unusual materials or design features can cost more like €1,500 per sq m. Self-managers and self-builders, using more labour intensive materials, can build for considerably less.

Sites for apartments start at €33,000 and for houses start at €44,000, with average site prices €70,000. This excludes council charges and a compulsory €15,000 community development charge. The latter funds the establishment and running of the heating system, including the 800-litre capacity storage tank in each house.

Two thirds of the site is non-residential, and even one third of residential area is for amenity or community purposes.

The eco village boasts: a district heating system powered by wood chip and an on-site solar park; fibre optic broadband, an enterprise centre due to open next summer, a hostel, community building, allotments, a native apple orchard, and a recently planted 17,000 broadleaf forest.

*For details see: thevillage.ie