Self-Builders need more help from Local Planning Authorities

The article in The Times yesterday highlighting the plight of self builders is so true! It is truly difficult to find a building plot almost anywhere in the country where people would actually like to live, with planning permission that does not cost a small fortune and take the opportunity to construct a nice home. In 2016 the government introduced a new national policy which obliged all local authorities to provide a self-build register for people who wish to design and project manage their own homes, rather than be obliged to run with house-builders. Under this policy they are obliged to make efforts to provide planning permission for plots for these self-builders.

This not only gave the opportunity for ambitious self-builder to create their own project, it also encouraged the small builders and tradesmen to embrace one-off projects and the whole scheme to provide some variety to the typical street scene. Our experience is that although these registers have been created, little or no effort has been made by local authorities to allocate, identify or provide self-build plots at a reasonable cost in a reasonable location. We were recently made aware of a housing scheme that was approved in the Midlands for a site of 40 self-build houses but only after having a refusal from the Local Planning Authority and going to planning appeal, well done the Local Authority, how encouraging!

There are some great examples illustrated on Grand Designs - The Street, which are small plots but appear to reasonably priced in nice locations. With the opportunities for Zero Carbon development which really negates the argument for a sustainable location having to be in a Town or City, there is a massive loophole here in the planning system which could and should be exploited to assist self-builders.

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