Helping Central Bedfordshire deliver custom & self-build housing
Central Bedfordshire
Delivery of serviced plots for custom and self-build to meet local demand can be challenging, especially where demand is high. Proactive and innovative approaches will likely be required from the local planning authority if demand for all types of plot, from developer-led custom build to both small and large self-build, is to be met. We are finding that the profile of demand is changing with more younger families and single people seeking to enter the market alongside the traditional ‘empty-nester’ couples.
In order to support the council in delivering a modern custom & self-build portfolio, Three Dragons has worked with Central Bedfordshire Council to produce a Delivery Strategy. The Strategy focuses on the issues and options open to the council for custom & self-build (CSB) development across the district. It complements an earlier report that assessed the demand for CSB. Both reports have assisted the council in drafting policies for its emerging Local Plan and have been published as part of the Local Plan evidence base.
The Delivery Strategy provides guidance on how best to plan and deliver CSB and is based on a range of local and national research which includes:
- A review of local plan policies and supporting documents produced by other local authorities;
- A synopsis of the different forms of CSB development, informed by discussions with leading industry practitioners nationally and locally active developers (and agents) that have been (potentially) involved in delivering CSB plots;
- Analysis of types of local sites that may be available for development as CSB;
- A high-level assessment of the development economics of CSB housing.
