It comes as a new report predicts a 141 per cent rise in the mortgages available for those building their own homes over the next three years.

The Minister said that going down the self-build route was an affordable option for aspiring homeowners and shouldn’t be seen as the preserve of those with deep pockets and grand designs.

A budget of £150,000 is adequate, in most instances, to get a three to four bedroom home built. The average cost of a ready-made home is now over £232,000.

Pledging to double the size of the self-build sector, Mr Shapps was joined by a glittering cast list of TV house-building experts at 10 Downing Street – assembled to offer advice to aspiring self builders on issues ranging from setting a budget and finding a site to practical tips on designing and building their own home.

A growing number of Britons are laying their own foundations with almost 14,000 new homes self-built last year – more than many individual volume housebuilders are building.

However, the self-builder’s share of the market – one in ten of all new homes – is still very small by international standards.

Launching a package of measures today designed to turn this into a mass market opportunity, Mr Shapps said that for the first time, anyone wanting to don a hard hat and build their own home from scratch – whatever their budget – will have the help, advice and support they need to get started.

Help to get started 

The pros on hand at the Downing Street reception today to offer advice included:

• Architecture Expert, Green Developer and Presenter of Grand Designs Kevin McCloud
• Architect, presenter and independent advisor to the Government on empty homes George Clarke
• TV builder and handyman Tommy Walsh
• Architecture expert Dan Cruickshank
• Writer and broadcaster on architecture Tom Dyckhoff
• Property expert and presenter Michael Holmes, and
• Architectural designer and sustainability expert Charlie Luxton.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps said:

“Last year, self-builders accounted for about 14,000 new homes in this country, more than many large commercial builders. Yet our self-build industry still lags behind much of the rest of the world, with the opportunity to build your own home seen as something only for a select few.

“That’s why today, I’m pledging to back the self-build boom and support the industry to double in size over the next few years. As well as a new website giving help and advice, we’re working hard to identify more land for development and have reformed the planning rules to stop people’s aspirations getting tangled in red tape.

“This package of measures is designed to ensure anyone looking to build their own home gets the support they need and with the numbers of mortgages available set to rise by a massive 141 per cent, there’s never been a better time for people to lay their own foundations.”

Supporting a growing industry

Today’s website is just one of a number of measures the industry is driving forward with the support of the Government. Today the National Self Build Association reported to Government on achievements since the launch of its Action Plan last year. In particular the report highlights:

• Improved access to finance – Better engagement with lenders, leading to a predicted 141 per cent rise in mortgage availability for people looking to build their own homes
• Making more land available – The Government is continuing to identify more surplus land for self build projects
• More builders offering self build housing – there is increasing interest from builders, developers, landowners and local authorities to support self home building across the country
• Cutting red tape – such as the new support for people wanting to build their own homes in the revised National Planning Policy Framework’ and
• Access to better information – More information on prospective sites for projects is now available, and more accessible through the new web portal launched today.

Ted Stevens, the Chairman of the National Self Build Association (NaSBA) said:

“More than half the UK population would like to one day build their own homes, and around two million families are keen to get their projects off the ground in the very near future. The new self build portal will help them figure out what, realistically, they can afford to build; it will explain how their budgets can go further if they team up with other would-be self builders or do a portion of the work themselves, and it highlights the parts of the UK where it can be cheaper to find a site and construct a home.

“The site has lots of great examples, and is crammed with practical advice and tips. We have also worked hard to ensure the information is as authoritative and independent as possible, in may ways it’s like a Which Guide to Self Build, so people using it can really rely on the information that’s provided.”

Kevin McCloud said:

“Self build is sometimes seen as a long, difficult and self-sacrificing process. But with the right planning, help and support it can be enjoyable and on collective schemes empowering. I believe we can become a nation of self builders. With the right support I believe we’d see more customised homes that reflect where they are, built to higher standards and to a better quality. We’d see people sharing skills and saving money. We’d see neighbours working together on community self build schemes and local construction economies thriving. And we’d certainly see more energy efficient buildings and a wider embracing of green technologies.”

George Clarke said:

“Id like it to be made much easier for a new generation of younger people to be get their self build projects off the ground. Few people realise that it is possible to build a very affordable, custom-designed home for quite a modest amount. And if young people team up with others, it’s possible to make even bigger savings – perhaps reducing the cost of a new home by 30 per cent or more. So self build really can be a route to affordable housing. This new portal explains in depth how group self build schemes can be delivered and I’m sure it will help to increase the number of innovative low cost self build projects that are completed in the UK.”

Kate Coutts and Alex White, both 30, are one of the would-be self build couples attending the Masterclass. Kate said:

“Currently it’s really difficult to find good independent information about how to best get a self build project underway. We’re currently renting, and are very keen on self build as a way of getting ourselves on the first step of the housing ladder. When we looked at the portal we found it very helpful – by checking out the interactive guide we’ve been able to get a much clearer idea of what we might be able to afford, and how to get the most from our limited budget. Before the portal there wasn’t a good independent site with all the necessary information and guidelines. The site is really useful especially with so many links to external sites, contractors, etc, and it has hugely cut down the amount of time spent researching.”

He made the announcement at a meeting of the NATO Foreign and Defence Ministers in Brussels.

The funding will be kept under review and will come from the cross-government conflict pool. It will contribute to a $4bn fund that the international community is putting together to ensure that Afghan forces can maintain their national security and prevent the country once again becoming a safe haven for terrorists after the end of NATO combat operations.

The first payment of £70m will be made in 2015.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said:

“The UK contribution of £70m per annum to the funds to support the Afghan National Security Forces will make Afghanistan a safer and more stable country and protect our own national interests.

“This contribution underlines our commitment to a stable and secure Afghanistan after 2014 and I look forward to discussing with other like-minded countries the contributions they will make.”

The majority of contributions from the wider international community are expected to be announced at the NATO Chicago Summit next month, which will set out the international community’s commitments on security support to Afghanistan after 2014.

The MOD, British Forces Post Office (BFPO) and Royal Mail have worked together to introduce UK-style postcodes for the 100,000 personnel and their families serving in places such as Germany, Cyprus and the Falkland Islands.

The new online postcodes will help everyone serving overseas, icluding those aboad HM ships and submarines, and their families, by improving access to products and services from the internet, as proposed in the Armed Forces Covenant. It will also help personnel maintain a UK credit history recognised by financial service providers.

BFPO numbers are not compatible with many online ordering systems, including credit agencies. However, under the changes, Service Personnel will be able to order everyday products online and have better access to mortgages and credit cards.

The improvements will also mean UK businesses will be able to make their goods and services available to British Forces stationed around the world, simply by updating their online ordering systems.

Minister for Defence, Personnel, Welfare and Veterans Andrew Robathan said:

“This is great news for our forces and their families stationed overseas, who should enjoy the exact same access to goods and services as UK residents.

“One of the aims of the Armed Forces Covenant introduced by this Government was to minimise the impact of military life so this is another great step forward to make Service life as easy as possible.”

BFPO Head of Policy and Plans, Lieutenant Colonel Ian Stark, said:

“For our personnel stationed abroad, this will make a big difference. BFPO and Royal Mail have created a database that opens up access to internet services and the ability to carry out internet transactions, whether it is online shopping, registering your car or applying for a mortgage or credit card. The changes will also allow our people to build up a credit history which is recognised by financial service providers.”

ACPO lead on statistics Deputy Chief Constable Douglas Paxton said:

“The latest crime statistics published today show the ongoing determination of the service to reduce crime, protect the public and improve confidence. The reduction in crime and rise in public confidence are being achieved alongside ongoing efforts to secure significant cash savings and efficiencies within the police service.

“Police recorded data for the 12 months to December 2011 shows overall crime is down three per cent when compared with the previous 12 months. The newly named independent Crime Survey for England and Wales remains steady and broadly in line with police recorded crime.

“Public confidence in the police was also reflected in the survey, with increases in the number of people who believe the police in their local area are doing a good or excellent job and increases in the proportion of people who agree that the police are dealing with the things that matter to people in the community.

“Violence against the person decreased by seven per cent, domestic burglaries dropped three per cent and most other categories show reductions in police recorded crime. Particularly pleasing is the reduction in criminal damage shown in both police statistics and the crime survey. However there has been increases in opportunistic thefts and robbery offences and police forces are continuing their efforts to work with partners and the public to prevent these offences.

“The service is determined to continue to build on the good work reflected in these publications and the results are a credit to those officers and staff who have faced the challenge of major efficiencies while continuing to tackle crime in our communities.”

Two of these challenges in particular struck a chord – how far centralised estate/property management can be implemented, and the need to break down the core “hygiene” impediments to flexible use of one department’s buildings by staff from another.

Central Control 

The autonomy that central government departments have enjoyed for the past 16 years has been a double edged sword. Departments had significantly more control over the level of resources allocated to property management and improvement, but the corollary is that strategic management of the government estate was largely sacrificed and, to some extent, that is coming home to roost.

Before the 1990’s government property was “owned” and run centrally by the Property Services Agency (PSA) a vast organisation that ran the civil and military estate in the UK and abroad. Inevitably the PSA was somewhat detached from its clients with many if not all feeling that their wishes concerning the properties they occupied were ignored. The PSA was privatised in the early 1990’s with departments ultimately taking on responsibility for their estates. A central estates advisory function remained in the Office of Government Commerce.

The Government Property Unit (GPU) was created and given powers in May 2010 to direct centrally how the government’s civil property portfolio is managed firstly via control over new or extended leases, or purchase of new properties and then by consolidating these powers into National Property Controls in 2011. This has introduced a sensible discipline into restraining any further expansion of the estate and ensuring opportunities for reductions are taken. However, this still falls some way short of having a clear strategy for the government property portfolio.

The GPU has plans for London and Bristol which focus on making best use of impending lease breaks and lease expiries coming up over the next few years, but do not go as far as underpinning a strategic restructure of the government estate in those two locations. Even in that context there still some uncertainty associated with the affordability of the some of the departmental HQ moves that will be needed to achieve the end result.

It would appear from this that the balance between centralised property direction and departmental autonomy is still in flux and that further evolution is needed. The solution will, I believe, result in a centralised approach where strategic management of the government estate can be achieved, but informed by departments’ operational requirements, perhaps even with some central funding of “spend to save” relocations, but with departments able to run their buildings within a consensus of standards and benchmarks agreed between themselves and the centre.

Impediments to Using Buildings Flexibly

Making best use of a streamlined estate – not only having the “owning” department’s staff working in a flexible environment, but allowing colleagues from other departments to use the space fully as well – is not as straightforward as it may seem at first glance. The report highlights that departments’ physical security arrangements, ICT and management of remote workers are all barriers to this goal, but does highlight that the Cabinet Office’s Efficiency & Reform Group is taking the cross government lead on developing more interoperability in these areas.

A flexible working environment needs to be supported by a flexible IT system if its full potential is to be realised. Day to day variation of workstation users has to be accommodated, and there are various architectures by which this may be achieved. Wider use of secure wireless networks can add value to a space both to allow continued access to in breakout areas, meeting rooms, etc, but also aesthetically by removing at least some of the mass of cables.

However, if staff from another department wish to share such flexible space then the lack of linkage between IT networks can be a serious impediment. Mobile solutions such as 3G dongles provide a partial solution, but still restrict access to, say, printing, and are not necessarily cost effective. The outcome of the pilots being run in the Departments for Business, Innovation & Skills and Transport with Vodafone will be both interesting and key.

Telephony is likely to be less of a barrier, as the universality of mobile/smart phones and being able to divert calls from a main switch to such devices provides a simpler solution that IT. The advent of VOIP telephony systems in departments should enhance this ability.

Stephen Horne is an associate of TerraQuest, and an experienced practitioner in the world of estates rationalisation and space management.

There are a number of ways that Planning Managers can respond to these challenges. At a strategic level the choice lies between in house service improvements possibly supported by external consultants, or a more radical approach – an alternative delivery model for all or part of the services working with a partner to deliver the transformational changes required.

Currently, there are fairly limited examples of outsourcing of planning services. Probably the best known is at Salford, where the Council formed a joint venture with Capita Symonds to create Urban Vision. The scope of this Outsource contract is much greater than just planning and includes all aspects of the planning service, building control and highways. Other examples include the more recent deal that Balfour Beatty secured at North East Lincolnshire. Although these large deals can deliver significant benefits, they often mean that the Council loses control and planning gets swept up amongst other services.

However, there is a more flexible, tailored approach that a Planning authority can consider. Through an integrated outsourcing contract additional savings can be generated by keeping the scope of services outsourced very focused and limited to specific areas of the planning service. Authorities such as Hillingdon have adopted this model which centres around the processing of Minor and Other applications. This enables Hillingdon to focus key experienced planners on Major applications which have a greater strategic significance in shaping the Borough.

The scope of the service includes the complete end to end process for Minor and Other applications with Hillingdon retaining some aspects of registration, internal consultees and the final sign off and authorisation of the report. However, the scope can be tailored to suit the specific needs of the Council and may include individual packages of work such as registration, validation, scanning or evaluation. Through the use of the ICT and process reengineering, improvements are being implemented which will deliver an improved customer experience, process applications more quickly (80% of reports available for authorisation within 49 days) and also reduce cost by maximising the productivity of the planning officers.

The approach is based on true partnership working through an integrated team of external planning officers and Hillingdon staff. A Service Manager works with the Council to enable continuous improvement over the medium and long term whilst continuing to ensure the quality and consistency of reports is delivered on a daily basis.

The service provides value for money through the transaction pricing model which means the Council pays a fixed fee for the applications that are completed and the higher productivity levels achieved by the external officers enables costs savings to be delivered.

Outsourcing doesn’t have to be based on the traditional “all or nothing” model. By looking at flexible, adaptable outsourcing contracts Councils can deliver improvements to their service model through true partnership working. Maintaining the current level of knowledge and expertise within the organisation is as important as delivering the cost reductions, and partnership working facilitates just that.

Geothermal energy is plentiful in Iceland where five plants supply about 20% of the country’s energy supply and 85% of all heating and hot water to buildings. The country would be eager to export this resource but a cable link between the UK and Iceland would need to be the longest of its type in the world, stretching more than 900 miles.

The Department for Energy and Climate Change has highlighted the UK’s willingness to pursue the idea because it sees interconnectors such this as having ‘an important role to play in our future energy situation.’

The move would help the UK bridge the energy gap that is expected to open as nuclear power plants are decommissioned in the future. A consistent supply of geothermal energy would also promote the development of other renewable energy sources, such as wind power, by providing energy when domestic output from them is low and allowing companies to sell excess capacity when it is high.

However, establishing this link would be expensive. The recent UK-Dutch link cost £500m despite being around four times smaller than the cable needed for the proposed Iceland connection. Underwater cables have improved considerably over the past few years and developments in cross-linked polyethylene conductors have led to more efficient power delivery in high voltage cables.

Inconsistency in how patients are described for short-stay treatments is leading to poor data quality, says the briefing By Definition – Improving data definitions and their use by the NHS. It warns that the NHS is suffering from ‘incorrect recording and incorrect payments’.

The Commission has found that the same treatment may be recorded as an inpatient at one hospital, and as an outpatient at another. This simple variation can greatly increase charges, even multiplying them five times or more. Inconsistent treatment descriptions are affecting patients, skewing management information and wasting NHS funding.

This has serious financial implications. Routine short-stay treatments cost the health service £6.8 billion a year, so discrepancies in contract values can vary by millions. There are frequent contract disputes over this specific issue.

Audit Commission MD for Health, Andy McKeon, says:

‘Confusion over how to record what has happened to a patient makes it impossible to compare like with like, compromising patient choice. It also makes planning and commissioning care difficult when treatment data gives an unclear picture.

‘We have also found that NHS managers are spending valuable time debating how patient treatment is recorded or described, time that would be much better spent focusing on the treatment itself. The arguments are only likely to increase as money gets tighter, and GPs in Clinical Commissioning Groups begin examining what happens to their patients and how much they are being charged.’

All NHS hospital activity is classified according to nationally set definitions. They affect the way each treatment is funded under the Payment by Results (PbR) regime. Most of the definitions are clear and are properly applied, but the briefing says that the PbR tariff is sometimes based on data that fails to represent the services delivered.

This, it says, is symptomatic of a wider problem – that NHS national datasets need to change to reflect the way care is now being provided. As more care is provided in outpatient settings, or outside hospitals altogether, much of the data is lost. This makes it difficult to record how patient needs are being met and to assess NHS productivity.

To illustrate the discrepancies the briefing gives two examples drawn from current NHS practice:

• An 18 year old boy goes to hospital for a simple operation needing only a short amount of theatre time. In one trust this would be categorised as a day case (an admitted patient) and the trust would receive £729. But elsewhere the same activity treated in the same way could be recorded as an outpatient (not admitted) and would be paid £116, or 84 per cent less.

Problems with emergency activity are more complex.

• A 10 year old girl is sent by her GP to a hospital paediatric ward. She is seen briefly by a consultant and then observed by a nurse for a few hours before going back home. At one trust this would be recorded as a ‘ward attender’ with a follow-up outpatient attendance, which costs £113. But elsewhere she may be classified as an ‘admission’ and charged at £509 – more than four times as much.

To tackle the problem the Commission makes wide-ranging recommendations. The Department of Health, NHS Connecting for Health, and the NHS Information Centre are advised to provide a single point of contact for PbR data recording queries, and a consistent and authoritative source of guidance.

Providers and commissioners are also recommended to use the Audit Commission’s own PbR National Benchmarker to identify areas where their activity classification differs from the national picture.

The ICO was informed by the Council in May 2011 that a briefcase, containing documents to be used for initiating court proceedings, had been stolen from a social worker’s house during a burglary. These contained the sensitive personal data of 18 individuals which outlined details of neglect and requested the removal of the children from their parents’ care.

The social worker had asked for permission to take the reports home in order to continue work on them, and this was authorised by the relevant manager, in accordance with the Council’s procedures.

At the time of the incident, the employee’s manager had received the relevant training, but the social worker had not. The authority had a policy in place but this didn’t relate to the handling of paper documents while working from home.

Stephen Eckersley, the ICO’s Head of Enforcement said:

“Local authorities must recognise that social workers are handling some of the most sensitive information available. The fact that this information often relates to vulnerable young children means it is all the more important for these organisations to provide staff with adequate training and guidance on how to keep this information secure.

“While Leicestershire County Council already recognised the risks associated with home working and had produced guidance for their staff, the guidance did not explain how papers containing personal information should be kept secure.

“We are pleased that the Council have now committed to taking action to protect the personal information they handle and will extend its training programme to cover all staff who are regularly required to take this information outside of the office.”

Leicestershire County Council have committed to amending their existing policies to include detailed guidance relating to the security of paper documents while working from home, training staff on these amended policies, putting appropriate monitoring in place to ensure compliance, and implementing other security measures to ensure personal data is protected.

The Regional Prime Scotland and Northern Ireland is estimated to be worth between £200m and £350m over a five-year period. It spans approximately 30 key sites including RAF Leuchars, RM Condor, and Glencorse Barracks in Scotland, and Aldergrove Airfield, Thiepval Barracks and Kinnegar Logistics Base in Northern Ireland.

Up to five representatives from each of the bidders – Carillion Enterprise Ltd, Interserve (Defence) Ltd, Babcock Support Services Ltd and TurnerHenry – will now attend an initial one-day ‘competitive dialogue’ session at Forthview House in Rosyth, the main DIO offices in Scotland.

The bidders will engage in one-on-one discussions with the NGEC team, exploring their planned approach to delivering key services such as:

• estate asset maintenance
• management information systems
• energy management
• land management services (e.g. asset disposals, acquisitions, leasing and rent collection)
• helpdesk provision
• technical and professional support

During the one-on-one discussions each bidder will also be asked to share supply chain development plans, and will be encouraged to offer innovative solutions for reducing estate management costs.

Following the initial dialogue, bidders will then be asked to develop outline solutions to meet the service requirements. Further dialogue will follow, with each bidder being invited to submit a more detailed technical solution in summer 2012.

John Brennan, the contract project manager, said:

“Defence transformation is driving fundamental changes to the military estate, including the scope of this geographically varied and challenging contract. These discussions should provide bidders with a coherent understanding of what is needed, from which to develop innovative and cost-effective solutions to support our Armed Forces.

“The successful bidder can expect wider responsibilities than current DIO industry partners, so we are also considering the bidders’ capacity in new areas such as managing energy consumption, reducing carbon emissions, and providing more comprehensive asset data and estate-related management information.”

David McLaughlan, the NGEC commercial manager, said:

“A good prime contractor needs healthy, robust supply chain arrangements, which is why we will be exploring bidders’ plans in this area of development during this key stage in the procurement process. For smaller businesses with innovative estate solutions, the message is to make your offering known to each of the four bidders for this contract as early as possible.”

To help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to engage with shortlisted bidders on potential supply chain and subcontracting opportunities, contact details for each bidder are available on the NGEC website (see related links).

The contract is expected to be awarded by early 2014 and in service by mid 2014. In due course a similar competitive dialogue process will be run for the three regional primes for England and Wales, and the parallel National Housing Prime and National Training Estate Prime contracts.