3 April 2013
Self builders should welcome the ‘Supporting Communities in Neighbourhood Planning 2013-15’ programme – a £9.5million, 2-year fund to help local communities draw up neighbourhood plans – because they may be able to influence their local parish council to draw up a plan that includes an area set aside for self build homes.
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Communities Minister Don Foster revealed the financial boost which will enable bids of up to £7,000 to be made by groups of residents to meet the costs of preparing proposals.
Historically, local residents might have had some input into the planning of part of a town but have never really been given the opportunity to really drive the process. This was left, in the main, to the local council planning department.
Now – if five young families desperately wanted to build their own home in their local village, for example – they could persuade the local parish council to draw up a neighbourhood plan with an area set aside for people to build new homes, aimed at those with a local connection.
Mr Foster said: “This government is all about giving power back to people locally to allow them to shape their community, and these powers are kicking in. We’ve already seen overwhelming support for the first neighbourhood plan in Upper Eden (in Cumbria, passed in March) and there is real appetite in hundreds of communities across the country to follow suit. This funding will provide practical help to people to make neighbourhood plans a reality in their community.”
Full details on the two-year programme are set to be released on the 15th April on the My Community Rights website.
