Mark Farmer, chief executive of Cast, said:
“The price and availability of land is a major problem within the housing market. Developers have increasingly been accused of overpaying for land by suppressing affordable housing provision and challenging quotas through the planning viability process or indeed by underestimating build costs. Community land auctions are a novel and innovative way by means of which local authorities can bring forward land for development. This addresses local residents’ and the wider public’s concerns around the development. In order to get homes built quicker, it is important that the land brought forward for development through such auctions should be developed using appropriate design and construction delivery models that reduce build cost and improve quality parameters. Community controlled land disposal, bought at existing use value with compulsory purchase order powers and a discounted value framework, has the potential to ensure that any reduced building costs from such techniques are passed onto the consumer, not just translated into higher land receipts. It is important that such supply side measures are adopted, not just demand side stimuli such as the proposed ‘citizen’s allowance’.”