Object

Representation ID: 8296

Received: 02/12/2024

Respondent: Define (on behalf of William Davis Homes)

Legally compliant? No

Sound? Yes

Duty to co-operate? No

WDH objects to the implementation of a blanket requirement seeking the provision of Self- and Custom-Build (SCB) units within market housing schemes on the basis that (i) the need / demand for SCB is disputed, often relating to a demand in a specific location, rather than in market housing developments, and (ii) delivering SCB housing within market housing schemes can be practically challenging.

Therefore, the requirement for market housing developments to deliver SCB housing is unjustified and unsound. It should, therefore, be removed from Policy H6.

Object

Representation ID: 8328

Received: 02/12/2024

Respondent: Persimmon Homes East Midlands

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Persimmon Homes has proposed an amendment to the policy requiring self-build homes to be delivered alongside larger residential developments. The policy, which includes a cascade mechanism, is deemed inflexible and does not consider site-specific factors. The mandatory requirement for self-build homes could negatively impact housing delivery in the county. Persimmon Homes, a lead developer, has experienced issues with individual developments, design quality, and site management. The policy's inflexibility and mandatory requirement could slow down the delivery of homes on major sites, affecting the Council's supply. Other ways for local authorities to explore self-build homes include using their own land, working with local partners, Homes England, and Neighbourhood Planning Groups, and allocating land.

Object

Representation ID: 8361

Received: 02/12/2024

Respondent: Bowbridge Land Ltd

Agent: Pegasus group

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

It is considered that to provide certainty in meeting the need for self/custom build, the Council should allocate specific sites or self/custom build housing and also provide a criteria-based approach to provide flexibility for more sustainable sites outside settlement boundaries to come forward and boost the supply of self/custom build within the County. Pockets of land within a strategic site are simply not an appropriate nor desirable location for those who want to construct their own home. The evidence base at paragraphs 7.20 and 7.22 of the Housing Market Assessment (August 2023) supports this approach.

Object

Representation ID: 8445

Received: 02/12/2024

Respondent: House Builders Federation

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Policy H6 is deemed unsound due to its lack of justification, effectiveness, and consistency with national policy. The policy encourages larger development sites to provide serviced plots for self-build and custom build homes, with sites of 50 dwellings and over required to provide at least 2% of the site capacity. However, the Housing Market Assessment (August 2023) reveals that the Rutland Self-Build and Custom Housebuilding Register equates to an average of 9 plots per annum, and the Council permits an average of 12 plots per annum. The HBF recommends collating evidence to identify the need for self and custom housing and ensuring that house building delivery from this source contributes to boosting housing supply. The PPG also outlines ways local authorities can increase the number of planning permissions suitable for self and custom build housing, including supporting neighborhood planning groups, effective joint working, using Council-owned land, and working with Home England. The HBF advocates for self and custom-build policies, but acknowledges that coordination with wider site development is unlikely.
The HBF would therefore suggest that any unsold plots should revert to the original developer after a six-month, not twelve-month marketing period.

Object

Representation ID: 8530

Received: 02/12/2024

Respondent: The Society of Merchant Venturers

Agent: Savills

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

The HMA (2023) (paragraph 45) explains that the Council is permitting self-build and custom housebuilding
plots in excess of those on the Council’s Self-Build and Custom Housebuilding Register. Ia blanket reference to providing 2% of site capacity as self-build/custom build plots is not considered appropriate or justified