Rachel Reeves has set out the new Labour government's first steps to "fixing the foundations" of Britain's economy. In a speech at the Treasury, the new chancellor announced a series of planning reforms that she said would help Britain build the infrastructure it needs, including the 1.5 million homes in five years. This is a promising start, but what does it mean for the self-build community? We need to cater for individuals who want to build their own sustainable homes, rather than developers who need to make a return on their investors' capital.
Such a strong signal of the government's commitment to planning reform is welcome, as England's planning system has long held back self-builders. There will be significant changes to planning legislation that reflect the party's vision for a more sustainable and equitable development framework.
Reeves is proposing to streamline the planning process to make it easier to build new homes, particularly affordable homes. By cutting red tape and speeding up planning approvals, the party aims to significantly increase the supply of housing. Reeves also emphasises the importance of brownfield land, encouraging the redevelopment of previously used sites to protect green spaces and reduce urban sprawl. Setting ambitious targets for affordable housing is important in addressing the housing crisis but may not support self-builders who create individual homes with a focus on design and quality.
A key aspect of Reeves' planning reform is environmental sustainability. Labour's vision includes incorporating strong standards into the planning process to ensure that new developments are energy efficient and environmentally friendly. This means requiring the use of sustainable materials, promoting renewable energy installations and ensuring that new housing developments are resilient to the effects of climate change - all of which are core principles at WeberHaus. Our primary building material, wood, used in our highly energy-efficient building envelope ÖvoNatur Therm, not only reduces harmful emissions but also provides natural insulation for a comfortable indoor climate. In addition, by incorporating PV, heat pumps and MVHRs in many of our homes, WeberHaus exceeds current sustainability regulations.
These are all core Weber principles. Our primary building material, wood, captures emissions and is sustainable. Our highly insulating ÖvoNatur Therm envelope is very energy efficient, and we incorporate PV, heat pumps and MVHRs in many of our homes, making a Weber home very sustainable.
In summary, there are some positive signs for prospective self-builders. How the government implement the Manifesto is key to supporting UK individuals to design and build their own homes. We want to see serviced plots and individually designed quality homes. Too many new build homes are plagued with problems and poor-quality materials, resulting in additional costs and stress. Our customers are passionate about their homes, and the houses are build to last for generations.
