9 July 2015
Steps are being taken to make it easier for self builders to navigate planning regulations at Britain’s biggest mass self build site.
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At a meeting of Cherwell District Council’s executive earlier this week members agreed to pursue a draft Local Development Order (LDO) to simplify the planning process for self builders at Graven Hill and proceed to a public consultation. If adopted, the LDO would remove the need for self builders to submit individual planning applications for each plot provided proposals comply with pre-determined building specifications.
Delivery of the 1,900 homes will be separated into different phases with a different LDO affecting each phase. The first phase is expected to encompass 699 properties but the first LDO will be piloted for a smaller area of between 100 and 200 homes. The draft LDO would be broken down into three different classes of development. Class A sets the specifications for a new property while Class B provides the specifications for the extension or enlargement of an existing property. Class C provides specifications for the provision of additional buildings relating to the same property, such as a garage or shed.
The draft LDO would be valid for five years to allow sufficient time for self builders but a timely opportunity for the council to review the specifications. Each plot would be given a ‘plot passport’ setting out the design rules that would apply. Self builders would be required to seek Confirmation of Compliance to demonstrate that their proposal complies with the relevant building specifications. Once Confirmation of Compliance is received, self builders would have three years to complete their development from that date to avoid prolonged construction work.
Self builders who want to build a property outside of the LDO requirements can still apply to do so through the normal planning application process.
Having now agreed to pursue the LDO, a public consultation will take place later this year. The results of this will then be fed back to the council’s executive in September when a formal decision should be made on whether to formally accept and implement the LDO.
Cllr Michael Gibbard, Cherwell’s lead member for planning, said: “This is the first time a Local Development Order has been considered for a self build development of this size so we are setting the benchmark for the future. Although we want self builders to have the freedom to design and create their own homes at Graven Hill, we don’t want it to become a free-for-all; we need to retain some control.
“However, if our planners were to consider up to 1,900 individual applications, plus retrospective submissions, it would place a huge demand on their services and slow the planning process down for everyone – not just those associated with Graven Hill. The Local Development Order is a happy compromise; it allows us to set the relevant guidelines such as the maximum height, depth and building materials etc while giving self builders the freedom to interpret those specifications to their own style without having to wait to receive individual planning consent.”
