19 September 2014
People who work with a specialist developer to help deliver their own home are the future of the housebuilding industry, the Housing Minster has declared.
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The comment from Brandon Lewis came as he addressed delegates at the National Housing Federation’s annual conference earlier this week.
During his speech on custom build, Mr Lewis announced that the sector is “the future” and “no longer a fringe DIY market for people with lots of time on their hands, and even more money”. Stating the benefits of the industry, he said that custom build homes are “cheaper, greener, and better designed.”
The Minster claimed that the Government is actively looking to diversify and strengthen the capacity of the housebuilding industry and encouraging more people to build their own homes is a central part of that. He affirmed that interest in custom build housing is growing which means “new opportunities for the construction industry”.
Building on the steps already taken to boost the industry – exemption of custom build housing from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), requesting councils to assess and plan to meet local demand for custom build housing and the introduction of the Custom Build Serviced Plots Loan Fund – Mr Lewis revealed that he will be driving forward a range of new custom build initiatives over the next nine months.
The Minister pointed to a consultation on a new ‘Right to Build’ – giving custom builders a right to a plot from councils. He also suggested that the Government will be looking at how it can provide more development finance for the sector.
Mr Lewis later asked the housing industry to consider how innovative construction methods can be used in building homes and highlighted offsite construction which he claimed can quickly deliver high quality, affordable homes.
“In the coming years custom build could provide a new land of opportunity,” the Minister said, “so I urge you to start thinking about how you could get involved.”
