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The government has announced a series of measures to boost the self-build market and extend it to help people on lower incomes.

Ministers are looking to dismantle barriers that hold back self-build projects, such as limited land availability, reluctance by lenders to provide finance, and red tape.

Self-build is an important element of the government’s housing strategy, which it hopes will encourage new house building firms and get redundant buildings back into productive use.

Communities Minister Don Foster has announced a series of measures, including providing new grant funding for community self-builders, working with councils to increase land for self-build plots, removing unfair taxes such as the council tax penalty surcharge and community infrastructure levy, and freeing up more redundant public sector land for self-builders.

He said the measures would help end the misconception that self-build is the pastime of a privileged elite, rather than a mainstream option. In 2012 to 2013 almost 11,000 new homes were self-built, in an industry worth up to £4 billion for the UK economy.

Ministers are determined that anyone with aspirations to build their own home has opportunity to do so and said the self-build industry can double in size over the next 10 years.

Foster said: "For many people the concept of building your own home means one thing: a fantasy mansion built by people with deep pockets and endless spare time. We are determined to end this misconception so anyone with aspirations to build their own home has the opportunity to do so, including people on low incomes.

"That is why we will give community-led groups the chance to apply for a share of £65 million to build the affordable homes they want in their area, and introduce other measures to boost access to land and end unfair taxes.

"These measures will open the door for hundreds of potential building projects across the country, and consolidate the progress we’ve already made to establish self-build as a mainstream option."

The government helped launch the Self Build Portal, a comprehensive advisory site for self-builders, with Kevin McCloud from Channel 4’s “Grand Designs” as the industry champion to raise awareness of self-build.

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