More Government Support for Grand Designs

Today (17th of September 2013) the Government announced a raft of new measures to support your “Grand Design” – the self build of your new home.

The measures include:

Providing new grant funding for community self-builders

Community self-build and community-led affordable housing projects will now be able to apply for a share of £65 million from the Government’s Affordable Homes Guarantees Programme to build the affordable homes they want in their area.

Working with councils to increase land for self-build plots

The Government will soon produce new planning practice guidance this will ensure councils establish the demand for self-build in their area, as well as take steps to help aspiring self-builders. This will include compiling a local register of people who want to build their own homes so they can be given first priority when new brownfield sites become available.

Removing unfair taxes from self-builders

New Council Tax discounts will be introduced for self-build family annexes, removing an unfair council tax penalty surcharge. Meanwhile, genuine self-builders will be exempted from paying inappropriate Section 106 tariffs and the community infrastructure levy, which will cut the cost of self-build by thousands of pounds.

Freeing up more redundant public sector land for self-builders

Finally, a review of the Homes and Communities Agency’s large number of smaller plots will identify those which are not viable for large-scale house building, but are perfect for small housing projects like self-build. More property asset data will be published online and the Community Right to Reclaim Land will be enhanced so self-builders can request redundant public sector land is released and sold for self-build projects.

Do you need help with your grand design? Kirkwells can help with everything from site search and appraisal through to policy advice, to design and on to planning consent.