The position of Group and Community-Led Self Build Representative on NaCSBA’s executive board is up for review, with two candidate putting themselves forward: Rob Burford and Jon Broom.
Members are encouraged to vote for their preferred candidate, and the results will be announced at NaCSBA’s Annual General Meeting on the afternoon of Thursday 28 June 2018, at the NSBRC, Swindon. VOTING CLOSES 26 JUNE 2018.
Candidate statements
Current post holder: Rob Burford
During a 16-year career, Robert successfully promoted and managed over 30 Collective Custom Build or Self Build groups, resulting in around 500 houses being built.
Following a gap of 15 years, during which he designed and constructed his own house – a timber Geodesic Dome in South Africa – Robert is now encouraged by the resurgence in Self Build housing and has become engaged once again in the sector.
Robert believes that NaCSBA has succeeded in bringing the general activities of Custom and Self Build to the attention of the Government and the general public. Thanks to the efforts made in its initial years, he believe the Association has succeeded in positioning itself as a major stakeholder in the creation of various policies aimed at promoting Self Build housing.
Robert considers that, given his considerable experience in the field, he can provide an additional dimension to the Executive Committee, which would enhance its objectives.
Candidate: Jon Broome
Community-led and Self Build housing both create opportunities for residents to have a stake in the important decisions that affect their daily lives. However, a principle barrier is access to land at a price that can support properly affordable development. The guardians of publicly-owned land and socially-minded landowners need to be persuaded of the long-term economic, social and environmental benefits of self-reliant citizens living and working in places that they have had a hand in creating.
NaCSBA has had a major role in making the case for Custom Build and putting legislation and resources in place. An important role now is to enthuse councillors, local government officers, lenders and others. Attitudes are changing and many now recognize the social value of community-led housing and NaCSBA can use its connections to create a supportive context at the top so that community-led projects become a more widely-available opportunity.
I believe I am well placed to support NaCSBA in achieving this as I have particular experience and expertise in community-led housing and group Self Build with practical experience of project managing the process of community development and self-building from start to finish; group formation, governance, designing with people, funding, cost control, programming, training and construction.
I was joint architect with Walter Segal for the pioneering local authority funded self-build projects in Lewisham in the late 70’s and established the Walter Segal Self Build Trust to promote community Self Build in 1986. I founded an architectural practice, Architype, and in the 90’s we enabled housing association-funded Self Build projects for shared ownership and for co-op rent.
Since 2000, Jon Broome Architects has been working on Passivhaus Custom Build houses as well as feasibility studies for Custom Build housing and on a shell-and-fit-out project in Walthamstow. I have been Strategic Advisor to RUSS, a ground-breaking Self Build Community Land Trust in Lewisham, since its inception and am now on the Project Board. I have addressed conferences in the UK and abroad and authored The Green Self-Build Book.
I am planning to do much less professional work and am keen to put my experience in this field to good use in a voluntary capacity for NaCSBA.
