Last year, Exmoor Young Voices launched its innovative Self Build Scheme. Led by experienced Self Builder and EYV advisor, Justin Tyers, the scheme aims to help people with a local tie, who are in housing need, build themselves an affordable home on Exmoor. One couple taking part in the scheme are Laura and Jamie from North Devon. Jamie has worked in and around Exmoor for many years as a gardener, and the moors have played a huge role in their lives. Our Media Coordinator, Megan, recently caught up with them to see how they are getting on with the self build process so far… Laura and Jamie, many young people are struggling to afford their own homes on Exmoor. The property prices are extremely high, forcing young people to continue living with their parents, rent or move away to other areas. We're interested to hear how you discovered the 'less obvious' possibility of a Self Build on Exmoor and what made you decide it was the right route for you to go down? "I first heard of the scheme through my boss's husband," says Laura. "He had overheard someone in the Poltimore Arms Pub speaking about Exmoor Young Voices and the potential of building homes on the moors. I was completely in disbelief at first as I had always been under the impression this was not an option for us. In fact, we have always looked away from Exmoor National Park due to the cost and believing planning would never be attainable. Luckily, I reached out to Exmoor Young Voices, and that's when it all started to feel more possible." We're pleased that word is starting to get around about Exmoor Young Voices and the idea of Self Build homes for young people on the moor. Part of the reason we want to document your 'journey,' and the other couples' involved in the Self Build Scheme, is to inspire other young people to explore what's possible. But of course, we also want to be honest about the process, and we know it isn't always straightforward. So, how have you been finding things so far? "We were told at the start that the ride is never going to be easy, but the rewards will pay off for those willing to wait. We have definitely struggled with finding definitive answers to some of our questions on occasions, and there is a tendency with some of the authorities and organisations to be passed from one department to another. But, Justin at EYV has been extremely helpful and supports us in ironing out any bumps when they arrive. Many people want to help you - you just have to let them." Laura adds, "sometimes you can feel overwhelmed, but we try to remind ourselves that we won't know all of the answers - we've never built a home before! All being well, we are hoping to put our plans in at the end of this month." Yes, patience and perseverance are key and as Justin says, "success always comes to those who refuse to give in!" It's really exciting that you hope to have your Self Build planning application in soon, and it leads us nicely onto the next question. What does your future home look like in your head, and where have you drawn inspiration from? "A dream home to us is a home that has a minimal environmental impact but does not scrimp on what we all consider modern luxuries. We have always had a passion for learning about alternative living, such as Earthships, cob houses, straw bale and passive solar homes. We hope to combine several of these styles and make a hybrid! Our must-haves are, most importantly, low running costs and a place we can feel safe and secure. As they say, an Englishman's home is his castle, and we couldn't think of anywhere else we would rather live than Exmoor. Country life suits us!" An inspirational build - Image Source It's great that you are exploring the idea of a Self Build design with a minimal environmental impact that will lend itself to the moor. And that's one of the points we're trying to make at Exmoor Young Voices - young people aren't asking for an awful lot. They just want a safe and secure home that they can afford. I know we're all excited to see your project progress. Do you have any advice for any other young people on Exmoor interested in an affordable self build?
"There is always support if you look for it, but the answers won't just come to you. You have to communicate with locals and planners and be proactive. It would be very helpful if someone who has built their own home could write a book called 'how to self build for dummies!" Watch this space! Thank you to Laura and Jamie for taking part in our first EYV Self Builder interview. We look forward to catching up with them shortly to see how they're getting on. For now, make sure you follow Exmoor Young Voices on social media and subscribe to our mailing list for our latest news and updates. If you are interested in finding out more about our Self Build Scheme, please get in touch.
1 Comment
A belated Happy New Year to you all! We hope you've had a positive and productive start to 2022. Below you will find our New Year Update so you can read what's been going on at Exmoor Young Voices and the exciting plans we have for the months ahead…
Self Build Scheme News Last year EYV secured the funding and advisors to launch our innovative 'Supported Self Build' scheme. The scheme aims to help people with a local tie, who are in housing need, build themselves a beautiful home of their own design, on an affordable plot, at a price they can afford to pay. Right now, two of our eight self builders are beginning the practical steps of building themselves a home by clearing the site on which they will build in the spring! One family is working on their house design, and the other has planning permission already in place. Amongst our other self builders, two have sought pre-planning advice to discover whether a planning application would be supported on land they already own. Pre-planning advice is a really useful, free service offered by the Exmoor National Park's Planning Department. It allows potential self builders to get some feedback and certainty about their plans to build without using up precious initial finance. Of course, they won't always get 'good news' - but even disappointing news regarding one plot allows them to 'move on', choose another, and try again. Achieving your own home, like achieving anything worthwhile, involves setbacks. However, success always comes to those who refuse to give in! By the way, we are looking for potential building plots on the West side of the moor. So, please get in touch if you know anyone who has land suitable for self-building who may wish to help the next generation live and stay on Exmoor (by selling a plot at an affordable price). We know some families whose lives would be changed completely by your support! Also, if you or someone you know is interested in building yourself/themselves a home as a solution to their housing need, our scheme is continuous. Get in touch. We look forward to offering help and support as you build your forever home. Summit Recall Plans We are currently in the process of planning our Summit Recall for June 2022. The purpose of the Summit Recall is to coordinate the promises authorities and organisations are making to sustain a young population in Exmoor National Park. If you are taking part in the Summit Recall, expect to hear from us soon. We're keen to find out what your organisation is doing to sustain young residents on Exmoor EYV Meeting An in-person EYV meeting is well overdue, but we've been waiting until it's safe for all of our members. All being well, we hope to plan one in the next few months, so please keep an eye on our social media pages and make sure you subscribe to our mailing list for further details. Introducing our New Coordinators Finally, we are pleased to announce that Vicki Norman is joining Exmoor Young Voices as our new Young Coordinator. Vicki has lived and worked in the area all of her life and currently resides in Wiveliscombe. In a previous role, Vicki worked as a Breeding Advisor for Genus. She now has several roles, including taking care of sheep, milking and rearing calves and designing bespoke homeware for her business, Nortot Country Homeware. If that wasn't enough, Vicki is also in the early planning stages of building a log cabin! Vicki is a hardworking and motivated individual with extensive rural experience and knowledge of Exmoor. We are delighted to be working with her and feel she will be of huge value to EYV and our partner organisations. In addition, Megan Hunt is re-joining the EYV team as Media Coordinator. Megan began her copywriting business, Megan Jane Copywriting, in 2012 after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Over the years, she has had the opportunity to work with a wide range of clients from all industries, providing website, blog and social media content. Megan is currently undertaking a self build project on the moor with her partner Josh to build a forever home for their family. Both coordinators look forward to engaging and working closely with EYV members and partners. Please feel free to reach out if there is anything they can help you with. Vicki Norman's email: vcnorman23@gmail.com Megan Hunt's email: megan@mjcopywriting.com Exmoor Young Voices has set up a new scheme offering on-going support for self builders on the moor. Young people on Exmoor wanting to build their own home can now benefit from:
‣ Help finding an inexpensive plot of land where Exmoor National Park are willing to consider planning permission for a S106 (local tie) build. ‣ Free support from self-builder Justin Tyers to create architectural plans for your self build. If you attended our Self Build Tour and workshops, you'll have already paid a visit to Justin's house. It's also been featured in the press. ‣ Weald & Downland training on working with natural materials & gaining practical skills. ‣ Help with securing a self build mortgage. We will advise you on the most likely sources & help you make your case. ‣ Support sourcing building materials (with a corporate buying mentality) from not-so-obvious sources. ‣ Mentoring from Justin Tyers to provide you with on-going support through the entire process. If you would like to find out more about our Self Build Support scheme please email: exmooryoungvoices@hotmail.com |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
March 2024
Categories |