Serviced plot
Self building is an alternative to the traditional model of house building in the UK. Traditionally, houses are built speculatively by a developer, and then people buy them and move in. Self builders instigates the development of the home themselves, whether by purchasing a kit house, working with a developed (sometimes referred to as ‘custom build’), employing consultants (such as an architect) and a contractor, or managing the entire process and ordering all the goods and services required themselves.
The custom and self-build industry in the UK only accounts for around 10,000 new homes every year (2015). This compares very unfavourably with other EU countries. In Austria for example, more than 80% of new homes are self built.
The average self-build project in the UK takes 2 years. However, self-build projects on ‘serviced plots’ can take just one year.
The government’s Custom Build Serviced Plots Loan Fund leaflet defines serviced plots as ‘…shovel ready sites with planning permission, where plots or parcels of land are laid out and ready for construction. Access is provided and each plot or parcel of land has utilities/services provided within its boundary.’
This means that builders can go straight onto the site and begin construction.
On 12 March 2015, Housing Minister Brandon Lewis announced the next phase of a £150 million fund open to small builders and community groups as short-term loans to help get the land ready for housebuilding. The land can then be sold as individual serviced plots to people looking to build their own home. Ref Gov.uk, A multi-million pound fund will help aspiring custom builders get their projects off the ground more quickly.
Brandon Lewis said, “This fund will help create shovel-ready serviced plots so small developers and custom-builders can get on and build, finishing their projects more quickly.”
In addition, the Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 brings forward the ‘right to build’ by placing a duty on councils to maintain a register of people who are looking to buy serviced plot land to build their own homes. The act states, rather vaguely that a serviced plot of land ‘…means a plot of land which satisfies such requirements about utilities and other matters as may be specified’.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
A PQP describes the activities, standards, tools and processes necessary to achieve quality in a project's delivery.
How Lidl has been actively working to reinforce their brand through sustainability.
Association of British Insurers describe full-scale cladding tests as 'utterly inadequate'.
This article examines the changing policy commitments and evolving definitions of the zero carbon home.
Researchers believe they may have created a 'game-changing' new form of concrete using graphene.
Grouting refers to the injection of materials into a soil or rock formation to change its physical characteristics.
Part of Designing Buildings Wiki, BREEAM Wiki will advance knowledge sharing for the BRE family of sustainability tools.
Iron, glass and wood underfoot
From the decorative to the utilitarian, and from the photographed to the forgotten.
New BRE book considers the progression from project-based knowledge creation to whole-life urban knowledge management.
This CIOB article explores the concept of value in building design and construction.
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners' release new images of soon-to-open 3WTC tower in New York.
A document can be called a bond or a guarantee. Does the name matter and what is the difference between them?