Funding available for self-build and custom housing
Released On 11th May 2021
Funding available for self-build and custom housing
The Government has recently announced a number of initiatives to help local authorities promote and deliver Self and Custom build housing. One such announcement is the Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) which is offering £75m of capital grant funding to unlock and accelerate release of local authority-owned land for housing. £25m of this has been earmarked solely for self & custom build, with the aim to support councils bring forward serviced self and custom-build plots on their own land and the Government will consider applications for self and custom-build schemes on both brownfield and greenfield sites. The funding is aimed at “replicable exemplars for delivery” and applications should seek to address “viability issues and market failure in bringing forward serviced plots”.
Examples of the costs specific to self and custom build that can be met by the fund include:
• site levelling, groundworks
• provision of small-scale infrastructure
• highways works or other access challenges
• addressing environmental constraints
• providing services to the plots.
The deadline for applications is the 2nd June 2021 and the land must be capable of being released by end of March 2024. Full details are available on the Local Government association website https://www.local.gov.uk/fund-details .
For many authorities this is an ideal opportunity to trial a small pilot scheme or to bring forward a series of plots where self-build and custom housing is perhaps more established. Three Dragons has been commissioned by a number of local authorities to assess which of their sites might be most suitable for self and custom build development. Please do get in touch with one of the team should you require any further information.
Laura Easton 07703 534883 laura.easton@three-dragons.co.uk
Tom Marshall 07885 420954 tom.marshall@three-dragons.co.uk