"We're taking practical steps which will unlock the potential and turn our country....[in] to a nation of self-builders..." says Eric Pickles.
The news today carries reports of a speech to the think-tank, Policy Exchange yesterday. Mr Pickles has renewed his call to Councils to identify and release land to residents hoping to build their own homes. He has said that the Government will reduce red tape, presumably to speed up the planning consent process, and exempt self-build schemes from CIL.
These proposals follow the recommendations of the National Self Build Association action plan. Watch this space for reports of further announcements on changes to legislation and regulations to bring these changes in to effect.
In the meantime, our experience is that the release of funding by the HCA to provide short-term loans for self-build schemes is still slow to come to the market and we see little evidence of the promotion of larger-scale, locally planned self-build developemtns which the Governemnt's policy promises.
