Is Labour’s new position on planning going to only benefit developers

[Pouche]

Dh and I have around £400k after the sale of our house. An adviser has said we could easily secure a £500k self build mortgage if not more. Dh and I have dreamt of building our house. But the cost of land in the South has been so prohibitive. You’d think well intentioned people who don’t want to build a monstrosity and want to actively participate in their local community would be able to do so with our budget. But no, we’ve recently decided not to take the risk as the margins are too close for comfort.

But Labour’s new position on planning is making me think of perhaps we could pick up the original plan.

I’m somewhat ignorant as I avoid the news due to anxiety (can’t handle hearing about how the world is going to shit/suffering it is causing).

Ideally we would love to build in a home county (born and raised here. But are these planning reforms only really going to benefit massive developers?

Any advice would be massively welcomed

I can't imagine the proposals will mean a significant drop in land prices in the south east.

Oh shame. Do you know where the benefits will be most felt? Interestingly Dh and I have decided to move North. But this will mean being away from friends and family.

If you want to do a self build I’d suggest you go to talk to Potton in Cambridge who run seminars on finding building plots. They are very helpful

as to Labour’s plans… my suspicion is that they will relax planning for developers to build estates, but increase the section 106 obligation to such a degree that the developers will end up with very little profit if they go ahead with the build. So we may find the developers going for planning permission then land banking until there is a change of government. Just a hunch this one.

We have spoken to Pottons. We preferred another company for the design but yes their resources appear useful.

I doubt these changes are going to result in a reduction in the cost of land - if anything it might have the reverse effect as the theory is getting permission to build might be easier and therefore more people will try to pursue their dream of building their own home. The main benefactors are likely to be the property developers.

North Yorkshire it is then!

Mass developers will benefit the most. They already hold thousands of unbuilt permissions where I live, and that will only increase across the south. Meanwhile they are all budgeting to build less in the next few years. But Labour cannot deliver homes in volume and at pace without them.

Try speaking to a chartered town planner? Try the RTPI website to find a town planner who can help you - usually local consultancies can help or land agents (although as a planner, I never trust land agents!)