30 September 2014
Eleven areas across the country will benefit from the latest government-backed opportunity to help get custom build and self build projects off the ground, under plans announced today by the Housing Minister Brandon Lewis.
The Right to Build is the latest in a range of measures designed to help those looking to build their own home: aspiring custom or self builders will be able to highlight such an interest to their local council in the chosen areas. These pioneering councils will establish and maintain a register of prospective custom and self builders in the area and begin to identify shovel-ready sites for those on the register. However, those looking to build will still need to go through the normal planning application process.
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These 11 areas will be the first to offer this new right to their residents from today, and will each receive a share of £550,000 to do it. They are:
- Cherwell District Council, which will receive £90,000 and are committed to deliver 2,000 custom build homes over the next 10 years
- South Cambridgeshire District Council, which will receive £50,000 and will bring forward at least 100 plots of land for custom builders and to begin selling land from January 2015
- Teignbridge District Council, which will receive £100,000 and will be implementing a ground breaking ‘5% self build’ policy in their newly adopted Local Plan so 5% of all new homes in the area are delivered by custom and self builders
- Shropshire Council, which will receive £10,200 to bring forward 6 hectares of land for self builders by linking with Stoke Council and local social landlords to find suitable plots
- Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council, which will receive £15,000 to begin bringing land forward for sale in autumn 2014 by using formerly-developed council-owned land
- West Lindsey District Council, which will receive £5,000 to make self build plots available on previously-developed public sector land in the area
- Exmoor and Dartmoor National Park Authorities, which will receive £28,000 to explore how local self builders can be helped while protecting important countryside
- Pendle Borough Council, which will receive £46,000 to deliver self build plots in the area and explore how this could be used to further deliver affordable homes
- Sheffield City Council, which will receive just under £100,000 to further deliver over 800 self build sites, and look to support groups planning their own custom builds
- South Norfolk District Council, which will receive £25,000 to work with Saffron Housing Association in the area to deliver 40-60 custom build plots
- Stoke-on-Trent City Council, which will bring forward 72 hectares of land for local self builders in the area
This first wave of areas will form part of a consultation on Right to Build. It will be decided whether the changes should be extended across the country later this year.
Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said: “We’re determined to help anyone who aspires to own their own home. That’s why from today, 11 areas across the country will be the first to offer a new Right to Build, one of a range of measures we’re taking to ensure anyone who wants to build their own home has the opportunity and help they need to do so.”
This new measure is in line with proposals included in a private member’s bill currently going through Parliament by Conservative MP and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Self Build, Custom Build and Independent Housebuilding Richard Bacon, which would place a duty on local councils to keep a register of individuals who have expressed an interest in finding land for their self build projects.
