According to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), new measures announced by the Government to help more people build their own home will increase choice and affordability in the housing market.
Announced by Communities Minister Don Foster at the Liberal Democrat conference, the measures are designed to encourage take-up in the self-build sector and include guidance for planning authorities to better identify local demand for self-build, as well as a review of small sites held by the Homes and Communities Agency to identify more land suitable for small developments and self-build projects.
Chief executive of the FMB, Brian Berry, said: 'The Government's proposed new planning guidance will encourage local authorities to accurately assess the level of demand for self-build in their area, which should in turn lead to local plans making better provision for self-build opportunities, increasing the options available to anyone looking for a new home.'
He added: 'Any exemption from paying the Community Infrastructure Levy needs to apply to all small developments, not just self-build projects, to ensure that large numbers of smaller sites do not become unviable, further weakening local house-builders and further reducing the capacity of the industry to deliver the uplift in new housing the country as a whole so desperately needs.'
