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Anyone in England who wants to build their own home should be able to turn to their local council for help to find a suitable plot of land under new plans published by the UK’s housing and planning minister. Brandon Lewis unveiled the details of a new Right to Build plan which he said will make custom build a more realistic option for more people. This comes at the same time as a government supported Private Member’s Bill on plans for a Right to Build register is being taken forward through Parliament by the MP for South Norfolk Richard Bacon. Eleven areas are already pioneering the Right to Build scheme, developing a register of prospective custom builders in the area and matching them up to shovel ready sites. The consultation seeks views from local planning authorities, the custom build sector and prospective custom builders about what they would like to see from the Right to Build. ‘Custom build should not be the preserve of a select few but a realistic opportunity for anyone who wants to build their own home and that’s why we’re supporting this Bill. Eleven areas are already leading the way on the Right to Build. And our plans for this Right across England will help more people turn their ambitions into reality and clear the way for a new generation of custom builders,’ said Lewis. He pointed out that it is just one of a range of measures to help aspiring home owners, and to get Britain building, adding that house building levels are at their highest since 2007 and rising. ‘House building is at the heart of the government’s long term economic plan, including supporting people to design and build their own homes which can often be at a lower cost than buying an existing property,’ Lewis explained. ‘This will not be a free for all and those looking to build will still need to go through the normal planning application process,’ he added. Other measures include a £150 million investment fund to support delivery of up to 10,000 serviced plots, making custom builders exempt from paying the community infrastructure levy and scaling back section 106 tariffs. The government also introduced a £30 million Custom Build Homes Fund in October 2012, which has made available repayable finance for larger multi-unit projects and grant funding for community custom builders. Continue reading →

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