In addition to ensuring the inclusion of custom build in the Home Builders Fund and announcing the winner of 2016’s Self Build on a Shoestring, NaCSBA has had a busy month. Here’s a round up of October’s key activities.
Meeting with Communities Secretary & Housing Minister
NaCSBA Chair Michael Holmes and MP Richard Bacon (Chair of the All Party Group on Self, Custom and Independent Housebuilders) met withCommunities Secretary Sajid Javid and Housing Minister Gavin Barwell to ensure that the Prime Ministers new cabinet had adequate knowledge and understanding of custom and self build, and the role it has to play in boosting the nation’s housing supply.Michael Holmes said: Supporting self and custom build will enable the Government to deliver its election manifesto pledge of doubling custom and self build completions to 20,000 by 2020.
Mr Javid was particularly interested in the idea of Land Pooling as discussed in NaCSBAs Custom and Self Build Toolkit, click here for more information.
In addition, NaCSBA has visited Number10 to meet with Housing Policy Adviser Jamie Cowling, and is set to return to meet with senior policy advisers in Teresa May’s Team later this year.
The Self and Custom Build Task Force
The Custom and Self Build Task Force is taking shape. Members of NaCSBAs Exec Committee are currently fulfilling requests for presentations for local authorities, planners, surveyors and architects on the Right to Build and how local planning authorties can meet their duties using the policies and approaches developed by the Right to Build Vanguards.
Work in Wales & Scotland
NaCSBA Chair Michael Holmes has met with the Planning Policy team within theWelsh Government to encourage support for the custom and self build sector in Wales. This includes the commencement of the Right to Build legislation, which is available should the Welsh Assembly decide to support those who would like to build their own home.
In addition, NaCSBA has been working hard with the Scottish Government to help establish a set of policies to support custom and self build, which was pledged in its document ‘Homes Fit for the 21st Century: The Scottish Government’s Strategy and Action Plan for Housing 2011-2020’. When the documentation was launched, the Scottish Government highlighted how keen it was to encourage greater use of self build to help increase housing supply.
To date there are a number of interesting initiatives taking place. For example, Glasgow City Council is using public sector land to create serviced plots for custom and self build and The Highlands has introduced a revolving self build loan fund, which offers up to 150,000 to help people self build, which they can repay when they can get a mortgage on completion.
In the coming months, NaCSBA will build on these examples and encourage the other 34 local planning authorities in Scotland to explore how they can encourage more of this type of housing.
