We must ensure new homes are designed for all kinds of needs in Exmouth | Opinion

My article this month will focus on the types of housing that communities need, and in particular focus on paragraph 62 of the government's NPPF Chapter 5 entitled Delivering a Sufficient Supply of Homes.

If we look at the NPPF para 62, we see that it indicates that "the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community should be assessed and reflected in planning policies (including, but not limited to, those who require affordable housing, families with children, older people, students, people with disabilities, service families, travellers, people who rent their homes and people wishing to commission or build their own homes)".

This can be further broken down into quite specific housing for example for older people, accessible and adaptable housing including wheelchair-accessible and wheelchair-adaptable housing as well as self- and custom-housebuilding.

I am pleased to see that in Littleham, we are very fortunate to have a wide range of housing stock, for example the Jarvis Close bungalows which are a well-designed group of bungalows built around 1975.

But there is always need for similar well designed housing stock as suggested by the NPPF.

Most recently readers will be aware that Taylor Wimpey is now in the final building stages of Plumb Park which delivers a mix of affordable housing and those at an open market price which their literature suggests "At Plumb Park we have a lovely range of 2, 3 and 4 bedroom homes to suit a range of needs. This new development is a partnership project with local landowner Clinton Devon Estates. The new community features tree-lined streets and 'Arts and Crafts'-inspired homes designed to complement the adjacent neighbourhood known as The Avenues".

As a nearby resident myself, I have kept a close watch on this development along with my fellow councillors. In fact, Cllr Hookway and myself visited it in last month along with the Mayor, Lord Clinton and other Taylor Wimpey staff to plant another of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee trees, thus doing our bit for the Jubilee celebrations and the environment by tree-planting.

However, we must not take our eyes off the main message of the NPPF at para. 62 and we must both as a community and a council look to ensure that whenever possible, homes are designed and land allocated with as many of these groups in mind. In fact, the last aspect touched on by para. 62 namely "people wishing to commission or build their own homes" is an important message which is worth discussing further. According to the EDDC in East Devon we tend to use the term 'self-build' to incorporate both self-build and 'custom-build'.

In terms of a definition the 2015 Self Build Act defines self and custom housebuilding as "the building or completion by: individuals; associations of individuals; or persons working with or for individuals or associations of individuals, of houses to be occupied as homes by those individuals". It does not include "the building of a house on a plot acquired from a person who builds the house wholly or mainly to plans or specifications decided or offered by that person".

This means that the person who first lives in the house must have the primary input into the design of the home if it is to be considered self-build. It does not require the first occupant to make any physical contribution to the construction of the home.

In general terms self-build usually encompasses a process where the would-be homeowner has control over the build, and can work with an architect, architectural technologist or design and build team to create a home that fits their specific requirements. In reality what this has meant is that the council has focused on Local Plan Policy H2 to encourage the provision of some plots on larger sites for people wishing to build their own home.

To conclude this article has focused mainly on the NPPF Chapter 5 Para 62 and we have seen examples in Littleham of this policy in practice, but readers need to keep in mind when looking at the emerging local plan, that these groups of residents will always need homes to suit their specific requirements.

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