Self Build Family Homes
Government copies Flosh Meadows Business Plan !!
Grant Shapps coalition minister for ‘Self Build Homes’ in June 2012 has wisely copied the business plan of the Self Build Family homes site at Flosh Meadows, Cleator !!!! OOOkaaay; perhaps he also had other models to follow but at Flosh Meadows, Cleator, in the wonderful area of Copeland being immediately adjacent to the Lake District National Park that was our 1st stage procedures and if allowed by our local planners it will also be our next. We build the roads & pavements, put in electric, gas, water, telephone and drains to each plot boundary and then invite plot owners to connect up and build their family homes. The owners achieve a magnificent and affordable family home and the high quality housing stock in our area is improved....
MPs to consider if Help to Buy MIG could extend to self-builders
A group of MPs will explore whether it is possible to include self-build projects in the Government’s Help to Buy mortgage indemnity guarantee scheme as part of efforts to make the sector more accessible. An all-party parliamentary group for self-build has been set up to explore how to boost the number of self-build projects in the UK from 100,000 to 200,000 within the next decade....
UK govt to make self build homes exempt from infrastructure levy
Proposed changes in the UK could save self builders thousands of pounds by ensuring they are exempt from paying a levy charge that must be paid for all new buildings over a certain size. Reported in excellent article by propertywire.com on Tuesday, 16 April 2013. The government says it is committed to helping more people achieve their aspirations of owning a home and wants to help boost housing supply by making self build housing a mainstream option....
Self-build homes are ‘shape of district’s future’
TEIGNBRIDGE has a bright future, according to Teignbridge District Council leader Jeremy Christophers in his 2013 new year message. With the local plan under way, he says Teignbridge’s future in 20 years’ time is being shaped right now. Young working families can get on the housing ladder with self-build, says Cllr Christophers. He is passionate about promoting self-build homes to overcome housing issues in South Devon. He says: “We want to support young working families. Self-build does that, it gives them a chance to get on the housing ladder. Cllr Christophers said: “The fact is we can’t go on without a local plan as it leaves too much of the countryside at risk of development. “We’ll get people interested in self-build together with people who can show them how to move forward. Banks are also now ready to lend to self-builders.”...
What happened to Britain’s self-build revolution?
What happened to Britain’s self-build revolution? It was heralded as one of the government’s answers to the housing crisis, but the self-build revolution is still to take off in Britain. Why is the idea proving so unpopular? Light-touch regulation of self-build could boost popularity, but are councils prepared relax their planning rules? Building your own home is seen as something of a niche activity, but the government is very keen for that to change. Faced with a dearth of activity across much of the mass housebuilding sector, housing minister Mark Prisk has urged councils to help bring about the “self-build revolution” heralded by his predecessor Grant Shapps....
New Homes Bonus scheme adds up to £660m for councils
England’s 353 councils are set to share a cash payout of £661m over the next year, after delivering 142,000 new homes, including self Build and affordable properties. This funding under the New Homes Bonus scheme will also reward councils for bringing 13,000 long-term empty properties back into use. This latest allocation, to be paid in the 2013 to 2014 financial year, means councils will have received £1.3bn through the scheme since its launch in April 2011....
Self building guide published-November 2012
New guidance has been published by the National Self Build Association (NaSBA) which provides advice on how planners and custom-build developers can make it easier for people to build their own homes. The guide explains how new Government policy included in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) encouraging self-build can be applied locally. These include: encouraging larger scale, self-build communities – like those that are already underway in Continental Europe – using public land to proactively facilitate self build projects – setting a target for a certain proportion of new homes to be self-builds when allocating sites or planning for new homes – treating modest low-cost self builds as ‘affordable’ housing – specifically encouraging self-builds in certain areas – for example on ‘infill’ sites, OR AS SMALL- SCALE EXTENSIONS ON THE EDGE OF TOWNS OR VILLAGES....
Self-builders keen to spread the word
Which of us hasn’t fantasised about a new house, exactly as we want it? You know the sort of thing: swimming pool in the garden, ‘his and hers bathrooms’, or even a home cinema. Well, such dreams may not be as far-fetched as you think, because around 15,000 people a year are now building their own homes. Most buy a plot of land, then hire architects and builders to do all the physical work for them. By avoiding the large profit margins of developers, they can save tens of thousands of pounds AND have a home designed solely for them....
Housing minister calls for more self-build mortgages
Housing minister calls for more self-build mortgages Speaking at a conference organised by the Council of Mortgage Lenders, Housing Minister Mark Prisk encouraged lenders to make it easier for people to build their own homes. The self-build market in the UK has been hampered by limited availability of land and red tape, as well as a lack of self-build mortgages....
UK govt puts £30 million into self build
On Tuesday, 16 October 2012 UK Housing Minister Mark Prisk announced that the first applications for a slice of a new £30 million self build investment fund have been earmarked for approval. Speaking at a special self build workshop for local authority leaders in London, Prisk said that the first projects would benefit from over £1.1million to start work on up to 20 self build plots....
Self-build ‘could lead UK to economic recovery’
Self-build ‘could lead UK to economic recovery’ says Jewsons on September 11, 2012: The self-build sector could help to resolve the UK’s housing crisis and support the country on it way to economic recovery, a specialist has said....
Eventually!! at least one council is seeing the way forward
07 September 2012: Plymouth Council appeals to self builders; The council has directly appealed to people who have perhaps found themselves locked out of the housing market by high prices and tough borrowing conditions, and believes that self build projects could hold the key to solving the current crisis. Plymouth City Council is calling for would-be self builders to get in touch and help tackle the area’s housing shortage....
Self-Build – A solution to housing shortage.
An excellent and comprehensive article on self build was written on August 16, 2012 by “Plainview planning consultants”. This is required reading for prospective self builders, local authority planners and their regeneration managers. Self build will eventually be accepted by UK planners as a major source of high specification, low carbon affordable homes with beneficial employment within the building trade and suppliers....
Self builders are keen to be eco friendly
I was talking with two hopeful self builder earlier today. They were trying to (their description) “get their head around Eco requirements” for their hopeful new self build home. I am not sure if they appreciated my answer “so am I !!!”. but I pointed them to the Self Build Portal web site: which contains amongst many others the following helpful article....
RICS to stimulate lending on self build homes
RICS has today (27 June 2012) published guidance which aims to increase lending on new and self build houses by encouraging greater confidence in valuations. The guidance has been updated to arm surveyors with the information they need to provide valuations for new and self build properties following market feedback, which revealed a growing trend in surveyors valuing new builds differently to older homes....
£30 million fund for self builders
Kevin McCloud to support the self-build surge’ On the 14 May 2012 Kevin McCloud was appointed by the self-build industry to support the national surge of interest in people looking to design and build their own home. The Self-build industry champion and new £30 million fund will boost the self build revolution....
Sustainability: Self Builders versus Major Developers
Undoubtedly, the emerging demand for sustainability in the housing sector is evidence of the fact that home buyers are becoming more environmentally and economically aware. Self-building attracts sustainability and when incorporated in the design of houses can lead to a significant reduction in life-time operation costs, while minimising the environmental impact of the housing sector:...
Government encourages self-builders
New help for self home builders launched at most famous address in the country (Published 19 April 2012) A package of new support to give as many people as possible the opportunity to build their own homes was announced today at England’s most famous address by Housing Minister Grant Shapps. It comes as a new report predicts a 141 per cent rise in the mortgages available for those building their own homes over the next three years....
Requisitioning a public sewer – kicking up a stink?
Requisitioning a public sewer – kicking up a stink? (article supplied & owned by HartBrown Solicitors) If the route of a foul sewer for a proposed development will need to pass over land owned by a third party then the developer will of course need to approach those owners to see if they would be willing to grant the necessary rights. However, if they are not prepared to co-operate, then the developer may have no alternative but to requisition the sewerage undertaker to provide a public sewer for the development....
Code for Sustainable Homes
The Code for Sustainable Homes is an environmental assessment method for rating and certifying the performance of new homes. It is a national standard for use in the design and construction of new homes with a view to encouraging continuous improvement in sustainable home building. It was launched in December 2006 with the publication of Code for Sustainable Homes: A step-change in sustainable home building practice (Communities and Local Government, 2006) and became operational in April 2007. Where Building Regulations apply, compliance is necessary at all times....
Government on Self Build 2011
Housing Minister Grant Shapps talks about custom (self) building at Grand Designs Live 31 May 2011 This is the first time I’ve been to Grand Designs – it’s impressive. I should have expected nothing less as Kevin McCloud is involved. My very first visit as Housing Minister was to Kevin’s west country development where they were pushing the boundaries of design and eco-building. And we’ve all seen ‘Grand Designs’ on the TV. Self-build schemes that are almost always startling in scale and ambition....
Flosh Meadows – Reasons to Develop
The existing Flosh Meadows self build community at Cleator, Cumbria consists of five high quality detached family homes built in 2001. It is pleasing and supportive of the community and locality that in 2012 four of the original five self build families still live in the homes they built. The land owners & developers Betty & Richard Mulholland who live adjacent have applied within the Copeland Borough Council Local Development Plan to be permitted to further develop the community....
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We support self-build projects that achi...
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14% seems higher than what we have here ...
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