Funding has been secured to support people to build their own homes, Perth & Kinross Council have announced.

The council said that Perth and Kinross is at the leading edge of a new national scheme to support local people to build their own homes.

Perth & Kinross Council has supported two local successful applications for funding from the Scottish Government to look at providing plots where people can build their own houses from scratch.

It is part of the Council's commitment to significantly increase local housing provision for local people. Self-build can be particularly valuable in rural areas, where the housing that people require can often be difficult to find.

Many people are looking to build a bespoke home which is tailored to their family needs, but they can find it tough getting the right advice and securing funding. The Scottish Government's Self and Custom Build Challenge Fund was launched last year to support self-build, following a pilot in the Highlands.

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Perth and Kinross has now been chosen for two further pilot schemes following successful bids to the fund:

• In West Perthshire Fergus Purdie Architects, supported by the Council, will look to develop a strategy to deliver self/custom build plots with a focus on providing affordable homes

• In Eastern Perthshire the Council will support Ritol Consulting to research and explore the potential that custom build could have to provide additional homes in the area

The Council's Housing and Communities Convener, Councillor Peter Barrett, said: "Right across Scotland there is a lack of suitable housing for people, especially in rural areas, and as a Council we are committed to improving that situation in Perth and Kinross.

"We are doing that through a number of initiatives, and supporting people to build their own homes is one of them. Self-build can be an ideal way for people to get the type of house they want, and that that suits their needs, and so I'm delighted that we have helped to secure this funding for these two pilot projects. The successful applicants can now look at suitable housing plots and how self-build can be taken forward on these sites, and we will help them to do that.

"As well as providing additional housing, self-building also has the benefit of creating very close-knit, and diverse communities where people are really involved in their community and invested in it.

"I look forward to supporting these two local self-build projects as they move forward, and we will do all we can to support further bids from the national fund."

(MH/CD)