Successful places with homes and jobs

A NATIONAL AGENCYWORKING LOCALLY

Custom Build Serviced Plots Loan Fund

November 2015

What we will talk about today What is the Custom Build Serviced Plots Loan Fund (CBSP)?

Who is eligible to apply?

What does the fund provide?

A brief overview of the bid assessment process

An example – French Fields (Westward UK)

Continuous Market Engagement (CME) – how it works.

What is the Custom Build Serviced Plots Fund?

A £150m Government initiative designed to help address the primary difficulty faced by many custom builders – i.e. securing a suitable building plot for their project.

CBSP fund provides short-term loan finance to bring forward sites of 5 or more ‘shovel ready’ plots for further development.

‘Shovel ready’ means sites with planning permission, where plots or parcels are laid out and the land is ready for construction.

Loans are for residential projects only.

Completed serviced plots once sold can facilitate either custom build or self-build projects.

Who is eligible to apply? Applicants must be an appropriately constituted body of good

standing with the capability to deliver their project

Private sector developers (particularly small and medium-sized) including those carrying out site infrastructure/servicing work and then offering design and build.

Housing associations (registered with and regulated by the HCA)

Community Land Trusts or community groups recognised under the 2011 Localism Act

Public sector bodies are not eligible to apply unless they partner a third party who meet the eligibility requirements

Who is eligible to apply (continued)

Proposals for schemes without planning consent may be initially considered where:

land is controlled by the applicant; or where the site has been designated in an adopted development

plan.

However, projects must have outline planning permission (with reserved matters) as a minimum to qualify for loan funding.

And…..result in the construction of new residential custom build.

What does the fund provide? Recoverable loan funding of up to 75% of eligible qualifying costs.

Eligible qualifying expenditure includes:

on-site infrastructure costs relating to the construction of the homes – access roads, footpaths and cycleways

provision of on-site utilities which are provided to the plot land preparation required to prepare the plot (including remediation) costs associated with demolition of existing buildings on the site fencing and landscaping to secure the immediate site boundary

(excluding fencing or structural landscaping for individual plots) professional fees directly associated with works funded through the

CBSP fund.

A £3m cap for funding any single project.

Bid assessment process Two-stage assessment process:

1. An initial eligibility assessment leading to shortlisting

2. Due diligence to verify the suitability for funding.

Successful completion of due diligence formal negotiations to contract terms before a loan is made.

An applicant can also apply for funding from other HCA programmes (for example, Builders Finance Fund) providing:

it is not for the same work

any outstanding HCA loan is repaid ahead of any further funding

French Fields - Overview

Westward (UK) Ltd – an SPV with

secured services of Kingspan-Potton

and Buildstore Ltd.

2 acre site owned freehold in the

North-West (local authority is St.

Helens), accommodating 4,000sqm

derelict commercial buildings.

Contracted with HCA on 27/3/15.

Providing 18 remediated and serviced

plots for custom build customers.

AERIAL VIEWS

French Fields - Partner Roles Westward (UK) Ltd – coordinate provision

of serviced plots and provide general self-

build advice to customer.

Kingspan-Potton – produced site

masterplan, work with customer on

individual house designs, manufacture,

supply and erect units on site.

Buildstore – coordinates marketing and

plot sales, provides financial services to

the customer – specialist in self-build

mortgages, warranties and insurance.

Continuous Market Engagement (CME)

CME began on 30/1/15. Prospectus and supporting information on the Gov.UK website. Submitted bids will be assessed/decisions made on a rolling basis.

Funding is available to 30 March 2020 or until the fund is fully allocated

‘Long-stop’ date for repayment of loan (with interest) is by 31 March 2025

The fund supports the Government’s forthcoming ‘Right to Build’ requirement on LAs to hold a register of demand for custom build; and to have regard to that demand in carrying out their planning, housing, land disposal and regeneration functions.

CME: how it works? Promoted locally and nationally:

Engagement with with local partners, trade bodies and intermediaries Engagement with SMEs and other developers Media briefings

Local support from HCA to support prospective bidders

Bids can be made through the HCA Partner Portal at: https://partners.hca-online.org.uk/ (Note: from 1 April 2015 onwards bids received for the Greater Manchester area will be forwarded to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority).

Further advice and support available via servicedplots@hca.gsi.gov.uk

Bidding guidance available online www.gov.uk/government/publications/custom-build-serviced-plots-loan-fund

Any questions?