PIONEERING housing initiatives by Teignbridge planners have been outlined to a parliamentary taskforce.

Council leader Jeremy Christophers and senior planning officer Alex Lessware made contributions to specialist discussions chaired by Helen Hayes MP.

Talks focused on new sources of housing supply and the provision of much needed homes for local people.

The Teignbridge twosome told the inquiry that the Government could unlock the supply of tens of thousands of new homes a year from small, self, custom and community builders.

Their knowledge was explained to the New Sources of Supply inquiry which is part of the National Housing Taskforce set up by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Housing and Planning with the National Community Land Trust Network.

Topics tackled included the need for councils to be able to allocate land for small builders and custom builders and the lending and use of publicly- owned land.

Cllr Christophers said afterwards: ‘It is a great testimony to all the good work that Teignbridge has done over a five-year period to promote custom and self-build, to be invited to contribute to this important piece of work which aims to deliver more housing.’

He added: ‘Approximately 142,000 homes were built nationally last year and we have done our bit in Teignbridge by building our share of homes.

‘More than 90 per cent of these went to local people, but we still have many people needing a home. With the moves we have made, custom and self-build will become a new option for people in the near future.’

He said Teignbridge was currently seeking Government loan funding of £3m to deliver the first demonstrator sites for local residents to build their own homes.

‘Teignbridge is leading the way in the self-build revolution, with the Teignbridge Rule so it is understandable that Parliament is very interested in our endeavours,’ said Cllr Christophers. 

Helen Hayes said: ‘There is clearly a huge amount of enthusiasm and innovation among small, self, custom and community builders.

‘But our inquiry is uncovering a long list of barriers that are frustrating their efforts, whether it’s acquiring land, getting to site, accessing finance, or even just starting up a new community-led housing organisation.’