LOCAL communities are to build their own homes without having to lodge specific planning applications.

Housing minister Grant Shapps has confirmed that he will take forward legislation allowing the creation of local housing trusts.

Plans for the trusts will be included in the government’s forthcoming Decentralisation and Localism Bill, to be introduced this autumn.

Local housing trusts would have to show they had the support of the local community for planned housing developments, said Mr Shapps.

They would also have to meet some basic planning criteria – but they would not need to lodge specific planning applications.

Any profits made from new developments would have to be reinvested in the local community.

Land would remain with the housing trust – regardless of what happened to the houses built on top.

Mr Shapps made the announcement in a speech to the Community Land Trusts conference in London on Wednesday (30 June).

"In opposition I said that if we won the election we would start a revolution - where communities would get involved in providing homes for themselves.

“Today it's time to start that revolution.

“For the first time it will be communities, not central government, who decide what happens in their local area.”

Mr Shapps said he wanted local people to decide what happens in their community.

Local housing trusts should be able to proceed in areas where there was overwhelming support for new developments from local people.

“I want communities to have the freedom to decide on the type and quantity of housing without external restrictions imposed by a centralised planning system.

“The English villages that captivate the world's imagination were largely built at a time before a planning system existed.

“They were built by local people to meet their needs.”

The government would unlock the passions and drive of communities, enabling them to realise their vision, Mr Shapps added.

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Doubts about pronouncements on house building
written by Mervyn Jeffery, July 05, 2010

I want to express my doubts about the Coalition Government's pronouncements about house building.

My own Local authority, North Dorset District council has a good record providing, in partnership with housing Associations, some 90 homes per year in the last 5 years. We have plans to bring this figure up to 100 per year over the next 5 to 6 years. However, the Coalition says with one hand we need more houses, but cuts the funding to provide them.

North Dorset's own housing needs survey is our guide and the means by which we have set our targets. NOT any central goverment diktat. Whilst I am aware that there are huge needs in the cities of our country, I often wonder if the Goverment of whatever persuasion realises or even cares, that there are as many needs in the rural areas.

We need affordable housing for local people who would like to stay in or near to the places of their birth. Where they can contribute to the local economy and enjoy the benefits of their local heritage, families etc..

What we do NOT need is yet more huge mansion type dwellings which can only be afforded by wealthy incoming retirees. Unfortunately we are a cash strapped local authority and we do need help in finance from central goverment or else some POSITIVE guidance as to how we are expected to provide the housing that the government admits is needed.

I am a coalition supporter, but have been disappointed by some of the apparently very rightwing pronouncements coming from parliament recently.

Sincerely

Cllr. Mervyn Jeffery
North Dorset District Cllr. Christys ward Shaftesbury & County Cllr. for Shaftesbury division Dorset County Council

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