The Threshold Centre
Management Report
Overview 2007-2008
It has been a momentous year for The Threshold Centre. Our main focus, as in previous years, has been gaining planning permission to realise our vision of turning the Cole Street Farm site into an education centre for sustainable living and cohousing.
In December 07 we submitted our revised application to the local authority which was duly reviewed by the Development Control Committee in March 08. Despite a case officers report that recommended refusal we were delighted that councillors unanimously voted to approve our proposal; subject to agreeing appropriate conditions.
It has taken longer than any of us envisaged to agree these conditions and as this report goes to print we are awaiting another Development Control Committee meeting at which these conditions will be finalised.
In the interim we have continued to develop our plans with East Dorset Housing Association, our architects and other partners, with the expectation that we will commence building in early 09. This will herald a whole new phase of life at Cole Street Farm.
Key to our revised application was ensuring 50% of our accommodation was for people on North Dorset Housing Register, and re-constituting ourselves as a community interest company to emphasise our not for profit status. We also leased an acre of land adjacent to Cole Street Farm to develop a community market garden and thereby address food production as part of our carbon reducing agenda.
Early tasks included the basic fencing off of the site, agreeing a planting plan, moving compost bins and developing some raised beds – not to mention the writing of another planning application to erect a polytunnel. We were successful with our first years crops and look forward to increased production in 08/09.
In September The Tree Council awarded us a grant that will enable us to plant an orchard of traditional apple and pear varieties with the help of pupils from Stower Provost Primary School towards the end of the year.
Despite all the challenges the year has brought we are pleased to report that our community has remained stable – and has expanded with the arrival of three temporary residents, who have come to learn about co-housing and community life with us. These extra hands have been a great help when dealing with the additional paperwork associated with grant applications and housework/catering associated with our education programme.
On a lighter note the community continues to find new ways to build and strengthen links. A particularly popular development this year has been the introduction of music sharing evenings and film viewings. Traditional events such as bonfire night, solstice, Christmas and New year have also been recognised and celebrated collectively. More than thirty people came to participate in a Dances of Universal Peace event on 21st December 2007.
We also continue to work closely with the wider community of Cole Street Lane and Gillingham. Our neighbours have joined us for coffee mornings and Sunday lunch; a number of local people have come along to our work weekends and we have hired out rooms in the main house for meetings of the Health Education Trust and to a local healer and therapist for private sessions with clients.
Download full Annual Report for 2007-2008
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