Comment

Representation ID: 23172

Received: 16/03/2020

Respondent: Pigeon Investment Management Ltd

Agent: Pegasus Group

Self/Custom-Build
6.17 There does not appear to have been any assessment of the need for self/custom-build housing to justify the requirement in Policy 5 for 5% self/custom-build on sites of 40 or more homes.
6.18 The Councils have not published evidence to justify their policy requirement to self-build plots either with regard to the percentage of plots sought or the size of site from which they are to be sought. As written sites of 40 or more homes will be required to provide at least two plots as self/custom build.
6.19 Pigeon are supportive of providing self-build plots and their proposals at Reepham allow for such development.
6.20 Notwithstanding the above, concern is expressed that the policy as written is not adequately evidenced. The self-build register of each Council is not publicly available to validate the policy approach being pursued. Generally, many of those seeking to build their own homes wish to do so on plots in rural areas or villages, not in urban locations, therefore there is no certainty over the delivery of the policy approach being proposed.
6.21 Therefore, it is considered that the requirement for the delivery of self-build plots should be specific to individual allocations to ensure that the needs will be met across the GNLP area and that these will be met at locations and at scales which are likely to be attractive to the self-build market. In addition, the policy could be expanded to allow self-build schemes to come forward where they are well related to settlement boundaries and have access to a range of services and facilities.