Right to Build Task Force announces updates at Right to Build Expos

The Right to Build Task Force announced updates regarding its work at its latest to Right to Build Expos in Exeter and London.

At the Exeter expo on 8 March the Task Force revealed it was working with Teignbridge District Council to identify several opportunities to create more serviced building plots to meet the needs of people on its Right to Build register. As part of this work Teignbridge District Council and its Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP) Partners will be the first local authorities to pilot a new evidence tool to plan for longer-term custom- and self-build housing demand.

The tool will act as an additional source of evidence to supplement the short-term picture that the Right to Build registers present of local demand for plots. This will enable local authorities to effectively measure demand on a longer timescale and plan confidently for custom- and self-build housing. The Task Force has worked with planning consultancy Three Dragons on the tool.

The tool provides estimates of the demand for custom- and self-build by district/housing market area, with outputs summarised in a report that includes:

  • The legislative context and national policy expectations
  • The local authority policy position including relevant information from Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMAs) and the local authority’s demand register
  • An assessment of custom- and self-build demand for the local area, with recommendations for actions and steps the organisation could take to meet this demand

Deputy Task Force ambassador and Teignbridge District Council Leader Jeremy Christophers said:

“As an ambassador, my role is to help people understand and embrace the benefits of custom- and self-build. This means Teinbridge is perfectly placed to be able to pilot the Demand Assessment Tool as a way to help more people live in homes they have built themselves.”

The Exeter expo also saw the Task Force announce its two newest members. John Palmer, managing director of Enhabit and Petersfield Town Councillor joins the Panel of Experts, while Graven Hill’s Bryony Harrington has been appointed as Task Force manager.

On 10 May, a similar expo was held in London, where the Task Force announced its advisory support for London Older Lesbian Cohousing (LOLC) and its commitment to work with the Community-led housing London Hub.

The LOLC is working to create a community of 20-25 homes, including communal living spaces. The group is using a cohousing model to create a caring environment for older living that offers an alternative to the conventional approaches. The Task Force will work with them and the Community-led housing London Hub to develop a site specification to identify potential locations and create a shortlist of delivery partners, before selecting a funding model and moving forward with design and delivery.

LOLC member Jude Watson said:

“It’s great to have the support of the Right to Build Task Force. We are now a company and have developed our business plans with help from the Task Force and the Community-led housing London Hub. It’s great that our ‘intentional’ community for older lesbians is being recognised as a way forward to diverse, older housing communities.”

The next Right to Build Expo takes place in Glasgow on 20 June, followed by Fareham on 6 September. For more information on the Task Force and expos visit www.righttobuildtoolkit.org.uk