Teignbridge lands £100,000 to boost self-builders

Teignbridge District Council has been given £100,000 to help self-builders get their projects off the ground.

Teignbridge is one of only 11 areas to have been named by the Department for Communities and Local Government as a Right to Build vanguard which will help prospective self-builders secure a plot of land.

The money will allow Teignbridge to continue its great work in bringing shovel-ready sites and help people secure a suitable plot of land so they can design and build their own home.

Cllr John Goodey, Teignbridge District Council’s Executive spokesman for housing and planning, said: “We’re delighted our Right to Build bid has been successful. As one of only 11 areas across the country to benefit, it really is testament to the council’s hard work in giving people more ways to get the home they want.

“Since 2013 Teignbridge has been operating an online self build ‘register of interest’ and have been working with private developers and community groups to grant planning permission for self build developments.

“The money will allow us to continue promoting that, but also explore how we develop successful standards ways of working with homebuilders to deliver multiple-plot self build sites within Local Plan allocations of more than 20 homes and trial reverse land auctions to secure suitable sites for residential development with the objective of delivering more affordable, low-cost market self-build plots.

“We want to do this together with our local communities and this money will go some way to achieving those aspirations.”

Cllr Jeremy Christophers, leader of Teignbridge District Council, said: “This is one of my proudest moments as council leader, It has taken a great deal of commitment from Teignbridge District Council over the course of the last few years to be able to get to this point, but I genuinely feel that we are at the start of a new era in housing provision, one which backs local people to be able to create their own homes in the towns and villages they want to live in.

“Being one of just 11 national schemes maintains our reputation of being self-build trailblazers, this £100,000 enables us to be able to commit more time and resources which will result in the people of Teignbridge starting to turn dreams into reality, by turning keys in the locks of their new front door in the near future.”

Cllr Alan Connett, The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Teignbridge District Council, said: "I very much welcome the additional funding coming into Teignbridge to help people into home ownership, through self-build. My concern is the potential for scarce funds to be used to support custom-build, which has been allowed within the Teignbridge Local Plan, where people commission a 'custom designed and built' house to be built for them.

“I very much hope the £100,000 will be used to help self-builders, building their own homes with their own hard work and skills, rather than people commissioning 'off the peg' properties which are built for them."

Cllr Mike Haines, The Leader of the Independent Group on Teignbridge District Council, said: “This is excellent news; by being one of the 11 chosen areas across the country it will enable more Teignbridge residents to achieve the ambition of owning their own home, and potentially at a lower cost. Teignbridge has shown commitment to this type of house building through the recently adopted local plan, and I am sure that this has helped the Council make a successful bid to be one of the vanguard schemes.”