Are you interested in a self-build home on Exmoor?
Policies in the Exmoor National Park Local Plan enable self build homes for local people, where they are unable to buy their own home to meet their needs on the open market. Exmoor Young Voices is working closely with the National Park to make self-builds a feasible option for young people wanting to continue living on the moor. Exmoor National Park is keen to advise and support those wanting to build their own homes on Exmoor throughout the planning process. We would advise consulting with Park planners at the earliest possible point in order to find out what is possible and how to comply with agreements and policies (i.e. Section 106). Useful links: Register your interest in a Self Build on Exmoor Exmoor National Park Self Build Register form for an individual Section 106 Agreements - Guidance and templates for planning obligations
We are also very lucky to have a self-build master as one of the EYV advisors! Let us introduce you to Justin Tyres... Self-builder Justin Tyers has built two houses and a fifteen ton wooden sailing boat! He is keen to advise, help and encourage members of EYV who wish to build themselves a family home. With a particular interest in the use of natural materials, Justin can also help with the kind of design likely to be suitable for Exmoor and which the Park’s Planning Office might support.
Results from our recent Housing Needs survey showed a lot of interest in Exmoor self-builds from the younger generation on the moor. However, we have identified several barriers, including the ability to find a suitable plot of land and the difficulty in securing a mortgage on a section 106 property. These are issues we are currently discussing with ENP and mortgage advisors, and in time, hope to find genuine solutions for.
If you have any questions about self builds on Exmoor, we will do our very best to help you, or failing that, put you in touch with someone who can! Simply drop us an email: exmooryoungvoices@hotmail.com
We also encourage you to attend our EYV meetings, where self build properties are a primary topic of discussion. Self-build tour 2019 Last year, we organised a self build tour for EYV members and young Exmoor residents. The event involved touring several self-build properties on Exmoor and meeting their owners. There was also a useful Q&A session with representatives of the National Park. Please download the document below to read our key learning points from the tour, created in collaboration with Exmoor National Park.
