17 October 2013
Local authorities should assess demand and set aside land for custom build homes – an action that could be “a real game changer” in housing delivery, according to a new report.
{TEASER}
The paper, published by The Housing Forum, suggests that local authorities need make the planning system more flexible to allow consumers to have a greater hand in designing their own home. This could be achieved, it says, through Local Development Orders (LDOs) – allowing councils to introduce new permitted development rights, removing bureaucracy and redefining the issues where planning really makes a contribution to the local area. It calls on the Government to encourage the use of LDOs and provide appropriate guidance.
The report, ‘Housing For The Information Age’, concludes that the demand for custom build development, clearly evident elsewhere in Europe, should be pushed to the forefront of Local and Central Government policy. All local Neighbourhood Plans, it says, should clearly state levels of demand for custom build homes with steps for delivering an appropriate level of such projects.
The Self Build Portal recently reported on the Government’s £7.5 million fund handed to councils to help their communities draw up a Neighbourhood Plan, and the announcement of 40 Neighbourhood planning champions who will offer help and advice to communities.
The document’s future vision sees custom built community collaborations beginning through social networking – bringing together like-minded people online to create neighbourhood management policies before any homes are built.
These solutions are just a few options, the report suggests, to remedy the UK’s housing crisis, with unaffordable homes and a deficient supply at its lowest level for nearly 100 years. Offering more choice in how homes are delivered, it says, would help get the public on the side of house building.
The report is available to view in full at www.housingfortheinformationage.co.uk.
