Green Building Forum - Self Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015

Self Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015

converse — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 15:06:15 +0000

Has anyone else been following this? It imposes a duty on local authorities to maintain a register of interestd self builders. The upcoming Housing Act 2016 will then impose another duty on planmakers to ensure a supply of suitable sites to meet the demand documented in the register. I think this could be really significant, if it works as I hope it will.

Any thoughts?

Self Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015

ringi — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 16:38:58 +0000

The question is at what price must the plot be provided.....

Most selfbuild has to be detached that adds a lot of the cost of the land.

Self Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015

converse — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 19:44:23 +0000

I'm more interested in the impact on planning generally.

The new act will essentially give the LPA another supply figure to hit. So, if Joe Selfbuilder buys a field without planning consent in an area that doesn't have an adequate supply of self build plots (regardless of 5 year supply figures), then I think it it will be relatively hard to refuse consent, regardless of what the local plan says about the desirability of the development otherwise.

Self Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015

snyggapa — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 20:57:39 +0000

very interesting - I have had a flick through and I can see an obligation on the local authority to maintain a register, but not any targets to do anything with it (apart from "to have regard to") - have I missed something?

-Steve

Self Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015

converse — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 00:33:35 +0000

The obligation is in the new housing bill currently going through the lords. It will be enacted later this year apparently. Currently, it requires LPAs to deliver consents to meet the numbers on their register. I think this could be quite significant.

Self Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015

converse — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 00:38:53 +0000

Here

http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/housingandplanning.html

Self Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015

Peter_in_Hungary — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 09:32:26 +0000

Posted By: converseCurrently, it requires LPAs to deliver consents to meet the numbers on their register. I think this could be quite significant.

So get friends and family to register interest in self build to bulk up the numbers, then buy your field and apply for PP

Self Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015

snyggapa — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 10:11:30 +0000

looks to me like the killer is

" development permission is â€œsuitableâ€ if it is permission in
respect of development that could include self-build and
custom housebuilding."

so anything that "could" be suitable for self-build counts towards the target, even if it is not..? seems to me that any planning permission "could" be suitable..

Self Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015

converse — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 20:26:11 +0000

Posted By: snyggapalooks to me like the killer is

" development permission is â€œsuitableâ€ if it is permission in
respect of development that could include self-build and
custom housebuilding."

so anything that "could" be suitable for self-build counts towards the target, even if it is not..? seems to me that any planning permission "could" be suitable..

Maybe, but Its arguable, and in planning that counts for a lot. I wouldn't accept a consent "could" be suitable if it was on a site controlled by one of the major housebuilders for example - they don't sell plots to selfbuilders as far as I'm aware. The onus will be on LPAs to demonstrate they have hit their numbers, and developers like me will obviously be arguing that they haven't.

Additionally I think LPAs are going to start pressuring developers to define and release a certain percentage of plots for selfbuilders, much as happens in Germany. This could be good news for a lot of people, and could help improve standards generally if housebuilders are competing with motivated green builders. We need more selfbuilders to show what can be achieved with vision and hard work.

Self Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015

djh — Sat, 26 Mar 2016 21:24:50 +0000

There was a discussion about this and the requirement for individual local authorities to hold registers and the lack of joined-upedness implicit in that. Was that discussion on here?

Self Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015

djh — Sat, 26 Mar 2016 21:27:17 +0000

Posted By: conversedevelopers like me

For people like me with short memories, and for new joiners, could you explain your perspective a little?

Self Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015

CWatters — Sun, 27 Mar 2016 13:25:48 +0100

I haven't looked at the act but does it mean councils have to provide plots, or does it just mean that a lack of plots gives a proposed plot more planning weight (as does a lack of travellers sites)?

Self Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015

converse — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 07:42:43 +0100

Posted By: djh
Posted By: conversedevelopers like me

For people like me with short memories, and for new joiners, could you explain your perspective a little?

Not sure what you mean exactly, but we build small numbers of low energy usage houses, out of the conviction that it is the right thing to do. A fundamental issue that we have as a company is that we compete with developers building houses down to minimum building regs standards. They can afford to pay more for land than we can as their construction costs are much lower.

Any initiative that could help ease planning consents on smaller sites could help. So my perspective is that this could be a good thing, depending on how it works in practice.

Self Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015

converse — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 08:08:56 +0100

CWatters - It's a Bill at the moment, not an Act yet so no doubt will change and evolve. I don't read it as giving LPAs an obligation to provide sites, but it will certainly influence planning in ways that no doubt the courts will end up testing.

You could imagine that LPAs could require some plots to be made available to selfbuilders out of major developments as part of the price of getting consent for example. I think this would be great if it happened.

Or you could imagine LPAs with 5 year supply of housing but inadequate supply of self build plots suddenly finding that their Local Plan is deemed out of date, with major consequences.

Self Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015

djh — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 09:23:47 +0100

Thanks Andrew.