September/October 2013
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More people looking to start a building project, including affordable homes for their local community, are to receive support. Self-build is an important element of the
government’s housing strategy, and supports action to help new house building firms and get empty and redundant buildings back into productive use. The measures announced on 17 September 2013 will complement steps the government has already taken to dismantle barriers that hold back self-build projects: lim- ited land availability and reluctance by lenders to provide finance and red tape. Communities Minister Don Foster
announced a series of measures to ensure the self-build market is opened up to those on lower incomes. These include:
news Incentives will improve household energy efficiency
More than half of small building firms think a requirement by government on homeowners to make energy-efficiency improvements when they extend their home. This would result in more work for their business, as long as any regulation was introduced alongside financial incentives to help pay for the work. Brian Berry, the chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), said:
“Following a thorough consultation with FMB member firms, we believe the government should re-evaluate the need for a consequen- tial improvements regulation, but only along- side a significant financial incentive for energy efficiency. This could take the form of a reduction in VAT on home renovation and repair, variable stamp duty or variable coun- cil tax.”
Providing new grant funding for commu- nity self-builders For the first time community self-build and community-led affordable housing projects will be able to apply for a share of £65 mil- lion from the Affordable Homes Guarantees Programme to build the affordable homes they want in their area. Working with councils to increase land for self-build plots New planning practice guidance will be introduced to 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. Freeing up more redundant public sector land for self-builders 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 enhanced so self-builders can request redun- dant public sector land is released and sold for self-build projects.
More government support for self-build surge
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