All-party MP's group calls for a significant growth in the self-build sector
An influential group of MPs has called for a massive expansion of self-build housing in the UK, and has recommended that a new fund be established to help local authorities initiate a number of innovative large scale self-build communities.
Read more at the 'communitybuild.org.uk' or at 'selfbuildportal.org.uk'
At a national launch event in 10 Downing Street, Grant Shapps was joined by celebrity building experts including Grand Designs guru Kevin McCloud and TV builder and handyman Tommy Walsh.
The centrepiece of the new support package is the launch of a new website portal – www.selfbuildportal.org.uk - which offers independent advice to self builders on all the issues they need to consider when planning how, when and where to build their own home.
Ted Stevens, The Chairman of the National Self Build Association (NaSBA) said:
“More than half the UK population would like to one day build their own homes, and around two million families are keen to get their projects off the ground in the very near future. The new self build portal has lots of great examples, and is crammed with practical advice and tips. We have also worked hard to ensure the information is as authoritative and independent as possible – in may ways it’s like a Which Guide to Self Build, so people using it can really rely on the information that’s provided.”
Community Build Platform
We have been trying to create a platform for people to find others and to find land, and we have used 'the forum' on the ecomotive website to do this. But this has proven fairly difficult as exciting projects get lost in the forum, and its difficult to see where the site is or who is setting up the project. So.......we have come up with the 'Community Build' platform which uses a different model to do this.
So check out.....www.communitybuild.org.uk.....register (its free) and either set up a new group (as you would like to see it) whether it is pure self build, a co-housing project, a community land trust scheme, a homestead, a low impact community, a small holding, etc, etc, etc OR join a group that someone else has set up (if you like the idea of it).
There is a 'Land Map' and 'Group Map' so you can find land or groups in the area you would like to be.....more easily.
Its farely easy to use, though we are still going through teething and amending (beta phase its supposedly called!) , so please let us know of ways we can make it better.
Bristol CLT Event: 3rd February Bristol.
Click here to download a larger version of the CLT leaflet.
If you would like to display a poster, either print out the download or pop into the ecomotive space to pick up a leaflet or various size posters. If you would like to print out your own high resolution version please make contact.
Ecomotive, Unit 2, WildGoose Space, The Yard, St Werburghs, Bristol, BS2 9YP
Call us to check we are in first if you want to pick up a poster: 0117 9241263
Ecomotive wins sealed bid for a site in Bristol
Ecomotive has been successful in a sealed bid offer for a Bristol City Council owned site in Eastville, Bristol. Ecomotive plans to create 6 or 7 highly sustainable eco-homes through self finish on one part of the site. Ecomotive is also supporting the idea of a Community Land Trust (CLT) project to delivery shared equity homes on part of the site so that there are housing opportunities for those with different financial capabilities.
Ecomotive are currently assessing the site in relation to the design concepts, material usage and aspects of delivery.
Once Ecomotive has a clear proposal for the site, we will send out details to all members of the forum. It is likely that Ecomotive will sell some of the eco-homes off plan. So if you would to know more in due course, please sign up on the log-in tab above.
Housing Minister's New Year Resolution on Self Build
GRANT SHAPPS: BUILD YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION WITH BRICKS AND MORTAR
Housing Minister Grant Shapps today called on the country’s aspiring self-builders to make a housebuilding revolution their New Year’s resolution
Self-builders are already Britain’s second largest housebuilder, and account for one-fifth of Britain’s new homes each year, but for far too long the aspirations of ordinary people to build their own home have been thwarted by barriers and red tape.
These obstacles have led to the UK having one of the lowest proportions of new homes built by self-builders in Europe – so Mr Shapps has pledged to end self-building as the preserve of the privileged few, and enable aspiring self-builders to put building their own home at the top of their New Year’s resolutions.
Barriers that stand in peoples’ way will be torn down - including a complex and bureaucratic planning system, regulatory burdens, and lack of access to land and finance
A new Community Right to Build will offer communities the chance to give the green light to new developments without the need for specific planning applications
This could be local people working alone to build their own homes, or entire communities coming together to build the homes the area needs
The new right offers people a solution to their housing needs in villages, towns and cities up and down the country. If communities support locally led proposals they can help to regenerate abandoned urban sites or build homes in countryside communities, ensuring they remain vibrant places to live and not museums.
Grant Shapps said:
“Building your own home should not be the preserve of a privileged few – I want to break down the barriers that many aspiring self-builders often come up against. That’s why I’ve asked experts at the National Self Build Association to work with us to develop an action plan to make it easier for people to build their own homes, whether on their own or as part of a community effort to build a whole new neighbourhood.
“But the action plan will also look at how more people can be helped to make the most of the opportunities to build their own homes. For example, the new Community Right to Build will put power in the hands of local people to give the go-ahead to new developments in their area – and could open the door to a whole new generation of self-builders.
“This will give a real boost to those who have long dreamed of building their own home, but have never been able to do so. I want these people to build their New Year’s resolution with bricks and mortar, and make 2011 the year they make their housebuilding dreams a reality.”
The self-build sector is already important to growth and housing supply – with self-builders completing between 17,000 and 20,000 building projects each year – so making it easier for more people to build their own home will provide a welcome boost to the housing market.
Mr Shapps has today asked the National Self Build Association (NaSBA) to work with his officials to develop an action plan to boost the number of self-builders across the country – and address the common barriers aspiring self-builders face, including:
Availability of land – including making public sector land available for house building;
Availability of finance – working with lenders to ensure self-building communities can get the finance they need; and
Availability of expert support – how self-builders can support communities looking to build the homes they need, and how those new to self-building can be supported
A New CLT for Bristol
Bristol is moving forward a proposal for an umbrella Community Land Trust which is planned to assist community land trust (CLT) projects across the city, and possibly further afield.
A CLT development has a number of long term benefits to the community. One is that the community has an equity share in the buildings or land that the CLT has governance of.
There are three potential sites which could see the development of the first CLT for the area. These are Victoria Park Baptist Church, Park Street in Totterdown and on Fishponds Road beside Eastville Park.
If you would like to know more about CLT's and what happening in Bristol, there is an opening event on the 3rd February 2011 in Hamilton House, 80 Stokes Croft, BS1 3QY.
Open viewing of proposed first sites, and ways you can get involved between 3pm and 7pm, with two presentations, one at 3pm and one at 6pm.
Wild Goose Space Community Centre, Mina Road, St Werburghs, Bristol BS2 9YP
Come and see what has been achieved, showcasing green building, renewable energy and delivered by the community. Recently achieving two major awards, the Building for Life silver standard for 2010, and 'Best Housing Scheme' for 2009 through the Green Energy Awards. The development consists of 20 self build plots, 6 self finish new build units, and 6 self finish homes in the renovated 1960's office building.
Costs: Donations ( £5 / no one turned away ) : (Money goes towards supporting the set up new projects)
Bristol Green Doors 11th and 12th September
Update August 23
There will be 11 neighbourhood hubs taking part in the Bristol Green Doors weekend, each with maps, displays and information about thehomes open in each area - and some are also providing refreshments. The hubsare at Wild Goose Space, St Werburghs; Redland Park United Reform Church;faithSPACE, Southville; Westbury-on-Trym Library; Bristol Holistic Building Forum (Bishopston and St Andrews); Thali Cafe, Montpelier; Thali Cafe, Easton;Thali Cafe, Totterdown; Thali Cafe, Clifton; Long Ashton; All Saints Church,Fishponds; St John the Baptist Church, Frenchay and Knowle West Media Centre(Saturday only). Thanks to all involved for helping with these.
And of course there are also our three central hubs at the Architecture Centre, Create and at Coexist with information about what is happening city-wide.
Posters and flyers are now available and are being distributed around the neighbourhoods. Maps are coming soon. Watch the website- http://www.bristolgreendoors.org/homes-2/- for details of the 52 homes which will be opening on September 11thand 12th.
Last week Kate presented the Bristol Green Doors to Carbon Leapfrog a national charity set up to provide free professional advice and support on running low carbon projects. We are waiting to hear, but hope that they will be able to help with advice about taking Bristol Green Doors forward.
Neighbourhood Watch has provided Bristol Green Doors with some really useful tips and advice for the householders opening up so many thanks to them.
Ecomotive at Glastonbury 2010
Ecomotive is at Glastonbury Festival again this year to help celebrate its 40th Birthday.
If you are attending the festival and would like to visit us, we will be in the Croissant Neuf field.
We have exciting information on Bristol projects and community land trusts, as well as advice and info on sustainable building, code for sustainable homes and energy ratings.
Not only do we have all the information and advice that Ecomotive can provide, but we also have info on Ecological Land Cooperative (ELC) check out: www.ecologicalland.coop; We have the Rowanbank crew who provide workshops and courses that inspire and empower, check out www.rowanbank.org.uk.
We also have 'The Bright Light' providing shadow puppetry, intimate stories of life and connections with the places we live, displayed through the timber structure.
We have been building the timber structure over the last few days, and this year we have been supported, by Travis Perkins with some FSC ply sheets for the roof, Tom for all the amazing plants, and the lovely people at Pieminister to keep us fed. Land Logic Timber provided us with the timber for the structure, and Solarsense have kindly provided us a solar PV panel and kit, to power our tools and for lighting throughout the festival.
We are of course in the Croissant Neuf field where everything is powered from renewables.
RIBA hustings taking place in the South West region in the run-up
to the 2010 general election. These events are an opportunity to engage
with candidates, and raise issues relevant to architecture and the built
environment.
The Bristol event will take place on Friday 9th
April at the SS Great Britain with guests arriving from 6:00pm for a
6:30pm start. Details below.
The Plymouth event will take place on Friday 16th
April in the University of Plymouth Roland Levinsky building.
Keep an eye out for further details in the next few days.
These events are FREE and open to all: opinion formers,
RIBA members, students and the public, although places must be booked in
advanced.
Right To Build – Crisis or no crisis, the right to your own home is for
many the ultimate asset. The present slump in the housing market shows
how dangerous it is to depend entirely on the corporate oligopoly
market to create these goods: both affordable and market-sector housing
currently face a shortfall. And despite Government rhetoric about
design quality, standards of architecture, construction and energy
performance have remained woefully low over the past 10 years.
What if we gave people the Right To Build? Publicly owned land assets –
whether held by the Homes and Communities Agency or local authorities,
and perhaps indeed the cheap assets that the public sector could still
snap up from debt-crippled developers – could be devolved to Community
Land Trusts (CLTs). Small or large-scale co-design projects could be
configured with relatively limited seed-funding and deliver co-procured
or actually co-built homes which are personalised and affordable
because of the elimination of developer profit, typically 20-25% of
development cost. Sweat equity input can be off-set against eventual
‘sale price’ of the home to the end user; this ‘sale’ could occur
through memberships in the CLT or on the basis of a normal sharehold
mortgage (allowing CLT’s long-term control over land) with a re-sale
clause guaranteeing the CLT a share of value uplift.
The renovated 1960's office building has won the Regen South West Green Energy Award for 'Best Housing Scheme' for 2009.
Jackson Moulding and Paul Brana-Martin received the award on behalf of the the Quoin Common Hold and Ashley Vale Action Group from David Wheeler of the Homes and Communities Agency. Jonathan Dimbleby hosted the prestigious awards ceremony in Bath which recognised excellence across the South West in a range of categories.
Bristol Hustings
