Dawlish News

Local people in housing need are being invited to find out more about a new way to secure an affordable, energy efficient home by building it themselves with training and full support provided.

Public meetings are being held all at 7.30 p.m. on Weds 28 November in the Manor House, Dawlish; Thurs 29 November in Kenton Victory Hall and Tues 4 December in Bitton House, Teignmouth.  

The Land Society CIC (a new Devon based not for profit Community Interest Company) is inviting anyone local to Teignmouth, Dawlish and the surrounding parishes who needs housing and cannot afford to buy on the open market to come along and find out more.  

“We help local communities meet some of their own housing need by supporting them to come together to form a Community Land Trust that develops the scheme,” explained Don Lang, Director of the Land Society.  “We have developed a house design with high environmental standards that is easy to build, and we provide all the training, materials, support and access to finance that people need to actually build their own family house.”

Teignbridge District Council is keen to promote self-build housing as one way of addressing the area’s pressing need for more affordable housing.  “The Land Society provide a really clever low-cost eco-home that anyone can build” said Jeremy Christophers, leader of Teignbridge Council recently.  “A number of parish councils in our area are keen to trial this, as it's a perfect answer to the housing crisis for people on low incomes but who live in popular, expensive rural villages. The home uses natural materials and is easy to construct. Better than that, the Land Society teach you how.”
 

For more information contact:
Erica Lewis, Communities Director, Land Society CIC
Tel: 01803 867209 (home and office) 07790 177146  
e-mail: erica_lewis@btinternet.com
 

Sounds like an interesting and innovative initiative.  I can't make the meetings myself but would welcome any feedback here from anyone who can attend - e.g. how practical is it, what skills are needed, how long to build your own home, and of course costs

If you send me an e-mail (address at the bottom of my post)  I'll send you more info.  In summary, the house is specifically designed for self build, so it's simple and you attend an evening class to learn how to build it - so no skills needed.  Takes a year.  You then remt/ buy on a shared ownership basis - with your first 25% being yours in return for your labour (sweat equity). 

Below is a paragraph taken from the land society website

"The cost of land, materials, training course and legal/planning will typically be about £85k, with a deposit of £5 -10k in stages, then balance payable quarterly in stages from an arranged mortgage. In addition the self-building work is valued at between £40-50,000, which becomes part of their equity in the property (or provides funds to complete the home if required). Members will typically own 60% equity in a home valued at about £225,000, and the balance will remain in the CLT for further social investment"

£85k for land costs and materials to build a £225k home interesting

Normal figures used by builders are

Land cost (incl, planning etc) 40%

Materials & Labour 40%

Profit 20%

Wow land and materials for £85k oh can I have 2 please.

Oh downside being CLT (who) will own 40% of my home,

Teighnbridge DC are interested in pursueing self build, other districts have approached a company such as Bovis and made arrangements to purchase part of the site just for self build.

I think i'll go to the meeting just in case I have misinterpreated the wording on the website, maybe I'm too sceptical. 

Yes, I've heard as well (and don't know if true - just repeating what I've heard alleged) that this scheme is not an "as well as" in terms of the amount of affordable housing being provided in the district via S106 agreements with developers, but an "instead of".  So, for example, instead of developers building a % of affordable homes per number of open market homes, the land that would have been used for affordable homes would instead be reserved for the CLT and their self build scheme.

Like I said though - this is what I have heard alleged. I don't know if it is true. Anyone know?

Andysport? (welcome back by the way. Where've ya bin?)

Whoops.... I thought that Land Society web page had been taken down as those early ideas have been superceded.....

The Land Society works with a local Community Land Trust (which we can help to set up) who own the freehold of the land and at least 25% of the equity in the houses to ensure they remain affordable "in perpetuity".  Self builders own 25% in return for their year's part time labour building it, and then can either buy another 50% on a mortgage or have a rent to buy arrangement with the CLT who take out the loan on their behalf.  That 50% costs about £90k for a two bed, £105k for a three bed for which mortgage repayments would be in the order of £600 a month.  The deposit is £5k.  As a shared ownership scheme this does count as affordable - as an 'extra' if we develop on rural exception sites, or as a part of the affordable provision on developer sites.  Of course self build is not for everyone but Teignbridge is keen to promote it as part of the mix.  To be eligible to be considered, households have to be unable to afford to buy on the local market and have local connections e.g. have lived or worked in the town for at least two years.  Lots more to explain!  So look forward to meeting everyone on 28th November.

Would you like to build an

affordable eco home in

Dawlish?

Find out more

Wednesday 28 November

7.30 p.m.

Council Chamber, Manor House

We are a local group of people in housing need intending to

self-build our own low-cost, environmentally sustainable,

houses in the Dawlish area.

Come and join us if you:

have local connections to Dawlish

need housing and cannot afford to buy a house on the

open market here

are interested in building your own well-insulated house

with training and local natural materials supplied.

If you cannot get to the meeting and want to register your interest,

e-mail Erica Lewis, Land Society CIC on

erica_lewis@btinternet.com

Well I went to this meeting last night, the Land society had a lot to say, unfortuneately with nothing to back it up, they have been around for a while, but haven't undertaken a single build as yet.

The general idea is reasonably good, although they have based their figures on a 1/5th of an acre building plot being available at a purchase price of £10k. I will follow this subject with interest, if they get it off the ground we will probably jump on board.

One thing that came out last night was that there was a representative from the Dawlish Transition whom stated that they as a group were interested in undertaking a self build project but not under the affordable homes scheme.

There was a representative from the planning committee whom suggested the site opposite Gate House School may prove to be a suitable site as it has outline permission for 75 homes.

A town councillor was present, and a number of other people whom had some extremely good questions to ask. 

@Andysport - unfortunately i couldn't attend the meeting but I'll certainly try and find out more about Dawlish Transition's thoughts on their doing a self-build scheme on this site that has outline p/p for 75 homes.  

This site by the way was granted p/p with various S106 agreements including that it should provide 30% affordable housing. I thought at the time that 30% of 75/76 dwellings might cast huge questions over the viability of the scheme and cynically awaited (still awaiting) a formal request that the 30% requirement be negotiated down. 

So I guess that if that 30% was totally or partially provided via self-build that might make the scheme more financially viable to whoever it is who ends up building the open market homes.

Also, if I remember correctly, part of this site is supposed to be a community orchard/food growing area.

 BTW the land comprising this site was up for sell a few months back - don't know if it was sold on though. If I can find the link advertising it I'll post it here.

'ere tis:

POA

Plot for sale Dawlish, EX7 0EQ

DAWLISH - Prime greenfield residential development site, approx 76 dwellings, country and sea views. 8.82 ha/21.8 acres gross, residential development on part approx 2.88ha/7.1acres, Outline PP 28th June 2012 for residential development and a neighbourhood centre, INFORMAL TENDER 7th SEPTEMBER 2012

Should anyone be interested, the planning reference re this site is 11/03265/MAJ. 

Here is an extract re the community orchard from the relevant committee agenda.

"The principle of the Neighbourhood Centre, Community Orchard and Play

Area

The illustrative layout shows play space, a community planting area and

space for community facilities to the northern end of the site.

These facilities could help meet some every day needs of the existing and

the future local community in a location that is accessible on foot or by

bicycle. Whilst some uses that could be said to be more appropriately

located in Town Centres are included, it is considered that subject to

appropriate conditions to restrict the scale of those uses, the benefits that

could accrue to the local community from having accessible facilities

available to them would outweigh the minimal harm that could be caused to

the town centre.

The accessible nature of the play space and the community planting area

would also maximise the likelihood of these facilities being used by all

community members not simply those from within the proposed

development.

The principle of these elements of the scheme is considered acceptable in"