Steve Lees, Director at smartnewhomes.com, comments on the proposed Community Right to Build programme:
“The Community Right to Build programme is baffling, appearing to be ill thought out, on-the-hoof policy which may end up dividing communities instead of bringing them together.
“Controversially, Shapps’ proposal grants local people the power to build on green belt land, something that developers are prevented from doing except in exceptional circumstances and a policy which is unlikely to supported by those who have long opposed the suggestion. If anything, communities should first be encouraged to utilise brownfield sites within the community, a policy that developers have been required to follow. A further question mark hangs over the funding for these new homes - does Shapps honestly expect locals without any experience of housebuilding to 'group together' to get funding from banks, to produce homes that are not only affordable to buy but are sustainable in the long term. And who will pay for improvements to the local infrastructure in order to support the new homes, a duty currently bestowed on housebuilders? The detail of Shapps' long awaited Localism Bill can't come soon enough.”
See Also: Press Releases (371), The Smart Comment (19), Property News (6701), Grant Shapps (23), Community Right to Build Programme (1)
Date Published: 23 July 2010
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