The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick, has announced today (Oct 30) that the Government will launch a review designed to make it easier for people to build their own homes.
Homes built or designed your own home can allow people to get onto the housing ladder easier than buying a pre-built home. Self-builds are on the rise, with 15,000 being built last year which is a 50% increase from just 2 years previously.
The self-build industry is currently worth £4.5bn to the UK economy, although the Government are keen to keep this industry growing with reviews such as this one.
Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government has already put in place a number of measures to support Councils in meeting requirements around self and custom build, including providing £95,850 of new funding to each local planning authority since 2016 - which totals over £30 million.
Councils are currently required to keep a register of those who wish to build in their local area. By 30 October each year (nicknamed ‘Right to Build’ day) councils should have granted planning permission to enough suitable plots to match the demand on their register.
Housing Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said:
“We are backing people who want to design and build their own home and today I have launched a review to ensure councils provide enough land and take proper consideration for these homes when making planning decisions in their area.
“This will help more people get a foot on the housing ladder and support our building industry as we deliver the homes that this country needs.”
