About us
who we are:
The Ashley Vale Action Group (AVAG) was formed in February 2000 by residents of the Ashley Vale area of Bristol who were concerned about the redevelopment of a former scaffolding yard in the area. In May 2000, a core group of residents formed a non-profit making company to purchase and re-develop the site for the benefit of the community.
Our aims were...
- to create an organisation capable of funding the buying and selling of the land;
- to divide the land into plots to re-sell for self-build housing;
- to promote ecological, innovative and affordable housing design;
- to attract a diversity of people to the community;
- to refurbish the existing office block to provide office, workshop or studio space;
- to provide a community facility and to enhance the local environment.
what we did:
After a planning day at the City Farm Summer Fair showed overwhelming support for a community-directed development project (see consultation report ), we set about buying the site.
To finance the purchase we brought together a group of people, many of whom already lived locally, who wanted to build their own houses in the area. By sub-selling 20 plots to the self-builders and 6 plots to Redland Housing Association for homes for the elderly, we successfully bought the site in May 2001. A central plot of land and an office block remain in AVAG's ownership.
The self-builders joined AVAG as soon as the purchase was complete and, along with a few other local residents, now have responsibility for developing the site in an environmentally-sustainable manner sensitive to the needs of the local community. (See details of some current AVAG members and directors.)