Around here, as I expect it is in many towns in England, houses and flats have been squeezed into every spare bit of space.  In places whole housing estates are being built, both on brown and other field sites.

It is the estates that have been on my mind recently as I went through a phase of thinking I’d like to move.  So many new builds everywhere, which are costly, but they come with allegedly good eco credentials, and some look quite pleasant.

But what I find about modern housing estates is they lack a heart, or perhaps I mean a soul.  There are often open grass spaces, and that’s nice for kids, and sometimes there’s play equipment.  But where is the Rovers Return, or the local café?  A shop might be good, but on its own probably wouldn’t generate much income.

Humans are social creatures by nature.  We need somewhere to encounter each other.  More than just a road to close off for a street party to celebrate something that doesn’t come round often, and then there’s the rain to consider.  More than just somewhere adults can be because they’ve taken their kids there.  (Yes, exercise is essential for children!).  After a while the kids will grow up, and there will be families without them, or people left on their own.

 In times past, people met up regularly in a church or temple with events in a neighbouring hall.  But not enough people go out to worship these days, and besides, we don’t all sing to the same hymn sheet, literally and metaphorically.  We just need the hall.  But wouldn’t it be nice to sit and have a natter over some refreshment: a pint or a coffee or a fruit juice?  Kids can draw at tables, too.  People of any age can play cards or board games.  How about a quiz?

Being alone is by definition lonely.  Living in a community where there’s always someone you can talk to is lovely.  How about getting together to raise money for a good cause, or even to help with the upkeep of part of the estate?

Blocks of flats are uninspiring, and for those who don’t work away from home, they can be isolating, too.  But they could be the opposite, if planned with more imagination.  A big enough block could use a small space for a café or micro pub.  Gyms are popular these days and can be social too.  Such things can be found in expensive retirement homes, but they can generate their own money.  And besides, I wouldn’t charge any kind of land tax on places used for community events if I ruled the world.

And what I’d like to know is why, in blocks for people of any age, instead of just a few concrete slabs outside some patio doors in a communal garden, ground floor flats can’t have private gardens.  Just enough to potter in or let the dog out unaccompanied in the cold and rain.  Hey, how about small allotments for personal use by residents/owners who live nearer the clouds?

The need to minimise land use means most houses are built over three floors, into what used to be a loft or attic.  A good idea for a growing family; not so for aging knees.

Front gardens are a thing of the past as they have been largely replaced by parking spaces.  Back gardens are still there, which is good; but they are so much smaller than they used to be and delineated by fencing.  There are no hedgehog holes put in as a matter of course, and of course birds can’t nest in a fence.  With the death of hedges we lose those little ecosystems where small creatures thrive: the tiny insects, who fed the bigger insects and grubs, who fed the birds.  No berries or flowers for the birds and bees.

I am pleased to see the advance of the swift block.  Some developers are using these in their new builds.  We could definitely do with more.

I wonder if insect blocks could become a thing.  Little holes in some bricks to create living space for insects in the way wooden bug hotels are found for sale in garden centres.

If I were the town planner, I’d have hedges restored, even if only along one side of the garden’s perimeter.  I’d also insist on at least one tree per garden.  I know that’s putting their lives at risk with careless owners, but if it were legislated they mustn’t be chopped down, would that work?  Birds could hang about in the area, chatting and singing to their friends in the neighbouring trees and in the hedges, once mature.  And of course there would be other things finding homes.  Think about butterflies, for example.  They need somewhere to lay their eggs and for their larvae to grow, until they free themselves when their wings have grown.

Like we humans, nature’s other animal life needs shelter and food.  We also need water.  Garden ponds, even tiny ones, are great for this, but they can be a danger to children, and I wouldn’t recommend anything a child could drown in, obviously.  Bird baths are good for bees and other insects as well as birds.  Remembering to fill them up in dry weather isn’t always easy.  Maybe fences could be built with tiny water catchers?  To help keep bees and other pollinating insects alive, they only need be tiny.  A bit like a handle for opening sliding doors, that sort of thing.

Of course, we need to consider the environment as a whole, and global warming.  Reducing greenhouse gasses is essential, they just keep the heat in our atmosphere.  When it’s hot, clouds can hold larger amounts of evaporated water for longer – heat rises and all that.  So they float along all bloated, bypassing some areas, then flooding others when they finally burst and drop more rain than your cooler clouds would do.

Solar panels on rooftops are the obvious answer.  Any other places, such as carports and walls facing mainly south can also be used.  Sheds, even, feeding electric lighting inside.  I don’t know if little windmills for roofs and tall walls will ever become a thing, but maybe.  Of course, cars are a real pain in terms of air pollution and noise, and naturally electric cars need to replace the combustion engine ones.  So vehicle charging points at each house or parking space are a must.

 

Of course, now we have the heart in our little town, we also need a circulatory system.  We need to bring in fresh clean water, and remove sewage.  No more joining a housing estate to existing pipes which can’t manage!  New sewage systems need to be built along with the new housing.  It can be done, even without chemicals, but of course careful planning of the surrounding area should always be part of plotting for a town/housing estate.  Sewage can be treated naturally by means of constructed wetlands, reed bed systems, soil infiltration systems and even oyster beds.  But I’m no expert, so I’d employ one if I ruled the world.

There’s often a shortage of water, especially down the east side of England, possibly because more rain falls as it meets the land to the west.  I’ve long been advocating for desalination plants and networks of pipes and canals to help here.

Once you’ve got the water’s sorted, you also need vehicles to circulate.  This could be an article in itself but suffice it to say there needs to be carefully thought-out junctions to let cars in and out of these new estates, not just one out- and in-let causing blocked havoc.  And we mustn’t forget the pedestrians and cyclists.

Continuing our analogy, the estate also needs a skin.  Lots of trees around it would be a good idea!