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The Live Work Network offers a service to developers in both public and private sectors. We will consider your development proposal and test whether it conforms to what we believe is a model of true live/workTM
Broadly, we believe that true live/work is mixed use of a property for both business and residential purposes
Essential ingredients are:
- designed for true work use
- work use monitored
- enterprise supported
- business clustering enabled
- quality broadband
- achieves transport reduction
- offers more than residential home working
- helps cuts costs by combining work and live
Desirable ingredients are:
- shared resources and facilities - a heart/hub
- proximity to move-on work space for expansion
- sufficient scale of development to achieve business impact
- appropriate location, close to key work centres
- links to business/education sectors
- brownfield site
- sustainable impact oÂn domestic life
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Afterthought live/work?
Small scale or individual live/work properties can be true live/work. But they cannot easily create clusters of businesses. Units that are part of an overwhelmingly residential development may offer little more than a new build equivalent of a home-working use. In this situation they could therefore be developed as residential....
Homeworking called 'live/work'
Some developers provide residential homes with space for home working - perhaps an extra room with telecom points. Although related to live/work, these properties are better seen as well specified homes. They are harder to describe as true live/work as they can usually offer little more than any property with a spare room
Bogus live/work
Where developers gain planning permission for a 'live/work' scheme when the true intention is a residential development, this gives live/work a bad name. There are good profits to be made buying land designated for employment use then selling homes built oÂn it at residential prices. However, if properties are designed for true live/work and planners/developers have ensured there are some controls, true live/work can be achieved
