An open consultation has been launched by the government with the aim of identifying the best way to structure the proposed Right to Build a new home.
First announced in the Budget 2014, the Right to Build is intended to give custom builders in England a right to a viable building plot. Its aim is to address the shortfall of suitable land by giving local people access to a suitable plot with the help of their local council.
The government is inviting views from local authorities, the custom build sector and prospective custom builders via a 39-page Right to Build consultation document.
The hope is that this will not only support the custom and self-build sector, but also increase the capacity and diversity of the house building industry – ensuring more high-quality homes come onto the market faster.
The consultation comes hot on the heels of the government’s appointment of 11 Right to Build vanguard councils to pioneer the scheme. Fundamentally, each of these 11 local authorities have volunteered to operate a Right to Build model and test how the initiative will work in practice.
Broadly speaking, the Right to Build will operate in the following way:
The first element of the Right to Build – the establisment of a register of prospective custom builders who are seeking plots – is being pushed forward under Richard Bacon MP’s private members’ bill (the Self-Build and Custom Housebuilding Bill), which is backed by both the government and Labour. The Bill recently had its second reading in Parliament and is now set to proceed to committee stage.
Two authorities (Chelmsford City Council and Teinbridge District Council) have already established their own online registers for expressions of interest in land for custom build projects.
“I hope as many prospective custom builders, local authorities and business as possible respond to this consultation to help us tailor the Right to Build to every local area and aspiring self-builder in the country,” said Brandon Lewis MP (minister of state for housing and planning) in his foreword for the consultation.
Read more about the consultation and express your views via the DCLG’s website.
Comments are closed.