Planning law change 'won't affect self-build'

The new planning laws make it easier for home owners to get permission to build extensions and loft conversions but will probably not have much of an effect on self-builders, according to experts.

John Slaughter, from the Home Builders Federation, says that self-building will probably not be covered by the government's White Paper on planning because it involves constructing an entirely new project.

This entails different kinds of planning permission which can sometimes be hard to gain due to opposition in local areas, although eco, modern home designs can help to woo local authorities into granting permission.

"Making planning consent easier might be helpful, but I doubt whether it would necessarily transform the landscape for self-build because there are a lot of other challenges involved," said Mr Slaughter.

"The people that do take on self build I think are prepared to deal with quite a lot," he added.

Self-build is a growing sector while home improvement applications are also growing with 330,000 people applying for extensions every year.


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