An eventful month
Some months I’m sitting here chewing the end of my HB pencil, wondering what to write about. Others, it seems that everything is happening at once. As I write this piece, it’s a few short weeks after the general election results were announced. We’re all reeling from a series of unexpected events that have shattered the cosy confidence of the Tories and given an unforeseen boost to Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party. One possible factor being mooted for the shock outcome was the high turnout of young voters disaffected by a perceived lack of opportunity for home ownership or rental at sensible prices, because we simply aren’t building enough new dwellings – especially at the affordable end. It’s a fair point.
Indeed, one of the high-profile casualties for the Tories was Gavin Barwell, the Housing and Planning Minister. Once again we have a new appointee, the seventh to hold the post since 2010. The new Housing and Planning Minister is Alok Sharma, MP for Reading West. I’m sure the National Custom and Self Build Association (NaCSBA) will waste no time in getting a date in the diary to discuss self and custom build issues with him – especially the 10-point manifesto listing our priorities for the sector. Also on the agenda will be how self and custom build can do its part in meeting what is now a critical shortfall of new homes.