Trust thy neighbour?

Developers need to be doing more to build sustainable communities, according to the country’s largest privately owned housebuilder, Miller Homes.

The warning follows research by the company which suggested that over 90% of Britons feel that community spirit is fast becoming a thing of the past.

Worryingly the same percentage of those surveyed said that knowing your neighbours makes for a better quality of life yet over a quarter of people claimed they wouldn’t trust the man next door with a thing.

According to Miller Homes, it’s up to housebuilders to do more to encourage a sense of community spirit on new developments where buyers don’t know the man next door and there are no existing community ties for people to build on.

Miller Homes recently put its thoughts into action with the launch of mymillerstreet.co.uk – a ‘virtual garden fence’ that actually enables buyers to get to know their neighbours online.

A significant percentage of the company’s customers are already signed up to the service and Miller Homes says it is clearly helping buyers to forge relationships on an actual, as well as virtual, level.

Nationally acclaimed Big Brother psychologist, Geoffrey Beattie, said of both the survey findings – and the newly launched website, “A generation ago, we’d have nipped next door to borrow a cup of sugar but it would seem that nowadays, we don’t want to lend a thing.

“Look more closely at this and you will find that the introduction of the internet has widened our horizons and allowed us to interact with people on the other side of the world at the touch of button. Ironically, however, this means that fewer and fewer of us are bothering to get to know the man next door – preferring to develop new contacts, and stay in touch with old ones through the internet.

“What Miller Homes has done is to combine these two issues and come up with a really innovative solution to one of society’s greatest issues. The site takes the concept of an online social network one step further in that it works on an actual, as well as virtual level. It fits extremely well with modern thinking and habits.”

Miller Homes Marketing Director, Philip Hogg, said; “When we researched this whole topic, we discovered that most people were looking for a helping hand – a reason to get to know their neighbours, and more importantly a comfortable and easy way of doing it.

“In short, we felt that a 21st century method of communicating was called for and the launch of mymillerstreet has really shown this to be the case. The site has only been up and running for a few months but already people are seeing the benefits. Residents have been using the site to set up children’s clubs, ask advice from neighbours on a range of issues and introduce themselves to their new community. A surprising number of pets have registered their details on the site too!”

All Miller homeowners across the region and throughout the UK have been offered the chance to register their details and view those of other registered residents.

Through a “My Neighbours” page residents can explore a map of their development and see at a glance who lives nearby by hovering their cursor over particular plots. A restricted message board enables residents to communicate with each other directly and post discussion topics.

Buyers are also encouraged to live a more sustainable lifestyle in their new Miller home through a dedicated “My Environment” section. Here a range of tests can be taken to assess the impact that users have on the planet.