Parliament Workbench

Petition · PE01520 · Session 4

Unrestricted freedom to build on plots of up to 1 acre

Closed Submitted 24 Feb 2014 Housing & Planning
Signatures
0
9 online signatures with a country
Comments
5
Considered
1 meeting
in the Official Report

What it asks

We call on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to allow every owner-occupier of a plot of up to 1 acre in area the unrestricted freedom to build or extend accommodation for themselves or family members, without any requirement that they seek planning permission, a building warrant, or other authorisation.

What the petitioner did first

I have contacted both the Scottish Government and a number of local authorities, and they have all been absolutely clear that they wish the present regime regarding both planning permission and building control to continue.

Where it was considered

Official Report
  1. 17 Jun 2014
    Public Petitions Committee
    New Petitions
    1 mention

Signatures by country

9 online signatures
  1. Scotland6 66.7%
  2. United Kingdom2 22.2%
  3. England1 11.1%

Comments

5 comments, oldest first
  1. Susan Thompson 4 Apr 2014
    This is an incredibly bad idea. I support Reforesting Scotland's Thousand Huts campaign, and the adoption of Tan6 low impact planning regs (or others which are easier to understand and comply with which allow low impact dwelleings to be built where people are working on the land). As has been stated elsewhere-'sign this if you want.. bungalows and pastiche mansions with three garages stretching for miles around every town...abolishing planning permission would be carte blanche for high impact car-dependent suburbia'. Also, this 'is a neoliberal solution...to a neoliberal problem, when what we need is a democratic, social solution to that problem'. Restrictions on landbanking by construction companies might help with the problem of the housing shortage, but more social housing and land reform is the only way to solve this, not by allowing anyone rich enough to buy land and build, probably without a mortgage being available in the circumstances outlined in the petition.
  2. David Morris 4 Apr 2014
    This is a brilliant idea. The only reason why some people who consider themselves to be land radicals oppose it is that they do not understand that it would crash land prices and make land easily available to the majority of the population.
  3. Colin son of Andrew 16 Apr 2014
    No one has any rights over land.. The land is gods land and he provided it for all to use.. We are all born human beings and no one man has the authority over any other. So with United Kingdom being a corporation we are only governed by consent, and any act or statute cannot be enforced if we do not consent... Simples...
  4. Bob Smith 24 Apr 2014
    Sorry Mary but as far as changing the planning laws is concerned this is as daft an idea as I have heard,It would be open to all sorts of crazy buildings appearing all over the countryside.
  5. James 2 May 2014
    No! Someone could build a skyscraper in a little village where it would be completely out of place, and if people don't need building warrants they will cut corners and make their buildings unsafe.