Kew Bridge Ecovillage
Kew Bridge Ecovillage was an
social centre in Brentford on squatted land overlooking the River Thames at the north end of Kew Bridge in west London
.
vegetables and recycling
its waste. On 27 May 2010 police evicted the ecovillage inhabitants.
The site
The approximately one-acre
property development company St George, have been given planning permission by Hounslow Council for 164 flats, a business centre, gym and pub.[1] St George PLC were granted a possession order for the land in Brentford County Court on 7 May 2010.[2]
The residents
In December 2009 the ecovillage had 32 permanent residents. Structures included a shower,
Consensus decision making was the basis for community organisation, informed by an intention to live a more simple and eco-friendly existence. Food supply was augmented by regular trips to local grocery bins and skips, some residents describing themselves as freegans. The community included some previously homeless people; others left houses and jobs in order to apply on a daily basis principles of anti-consumerism.[3]
After the village was disbanded, some of its residents joined the
Democracy Village, set up in May 2010.[4]
Community events
The ecovillage conducted a programme of events that have included
seedbanks
.
Documentary film
Documentary filmmaker
DOK Leipzig
and London's Open City Docs Fest.
In 2014 Puckett put the film up online for free viewing on his Vimeo page.[6]
See also
- Guerrilla gardening
- Diggers
- Squatting
- Umoja Village
- Take Back the Land
- Hounslow community land project
References
- ^ "- Brentford's Very Own Lubyanka>". Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ Mason, Ian (27 May 2010). "Eco-villagers evicted from Kew Bridge home". The Hounslow and Brentford Times. Richmond and Twickenham Times.
- ^ Cumber, Robert (12 June 2009). "Kew Bridge squatters creating 'eco-village'". The Hounslow Chronicle. MyLondon.
- ^ Mason, Ian (21 May 2010). "Eco-villagers prepare to leave after court ruling". The Hounslow and Brentford Times. Richmond and Twickenham Times.
- ^ Ecovillage seed swap[permanent dead link]
- ^ Puckett, Dean (24 April 2013). "Grasp The Nettle". vimeo.com. Grasp The Nettle Films.
51°29′17″N 0°17′17″W / 51.488°N 0.288°W
External links
- YouTube report on the ecovillage
- Kew Ecovillage Facebook page
- Green Dragon Lane, local website
- The Land is Ours
- The Grow Your Own Village network website
- Grasp the Nettle follows the exploits of a ragtag band of land rights activists in London - Ecovillage film by Dean Puckett
| Influences |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Squatter groups | ||
| Legalized squats | ||
| Former squats |
| |
| Notable squatters | ||
| Legal framework | ||
| Linked topics | ||
