"Garden grabbing" or self-build opportunities?
July 3, 2012
As the dust settles on the launch of the Housing Minister's Self-build programme, it is worthwhile reflecting on whether things will get easier for the budding self-builder?
The availability of land and more importantly, the availability of land with development potential has always been the crucial first stage in building a new house.
It seems a paradox that on the one hand the Housing Minister, Grant Shapps "wants to increase self-build as a main stream housing option" and yet two years earlier, the very same Minister announced that garden land was to be no longer considered as Brownfield? What has followed is that Councils up and down the Country now consider new houses in gardens to be contrary to policy and refusing permission.
In the absence of large serviced plots which make self-build such a popular option in the Continent, the Government has at one stroke killed off the greatest supply of plots for self-builders.
Only 12% of homes in the UK are self-build compared to over 80 in Austria
There was undoubtedly an element of greed as developers cashed in by building high density flats on inappropriate sites. But was the change in classification really necessary? There already existed sufficient controls relating to design considerations and ensuring that new development was consistent with the character of an area to prevent such unwanted buildings. One popular view amongst planning professionals is that this was no reason to prevent garden land continuing to be a valuable form of land supply.
Whilst the Government's attempts to increase more public and private sector land availability for self-builders should be lauded, I doubt the Continental model can be applied to the UK. Even with de-regulation, infrastructure provision and the removal of other barriers, who wants to live in the middle of a building site whilst houses are being built all around them in different phases and time periods? We wait in anticipation to see what impact these proposals have.
There may however be some light at the end of the tunnel. The new but highly controversial NPPF (the new Government Planning Policy) now requires Councils to assess the demand for people wishing to build their own homes and then to cater for it. Neighbourhood Planning, Community Right to Build and the localist approach to planning also offer opportunities.
Despite all the changes one things remains a constant - the need to build enough homes to meet the needs of the population. Residential development on Greenfield sites such as garden land can still be achieved, especially in areas where there is insufficient Brownfield land or where such developing such land is not viable. The development would have to respect the character of the area and not adversely affect wildlife and so on. Unlike the volume house builders however, these are all factors which the self-builder wants to respond positively to, after all they are building a house which they will live in.
So, if you are thinking of building your own home or simply getting planning permission for one, things may have just got a little harder. Contact Inspire Planning for further advice on [email protected] or 07932 438224.
To find a company who may assist you further, simply click on the free links located on the right hand side of the page.
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