CLG has published its Business Plan 2011-15 - the successor to the Draft Structural Reform Plan last published in July 2010. This shows how the empty homes agenda is moving forwards.
"Home on a Farm" scheme
The first reference is at 4.4., concerning the "Homes on a Farm" scheme. The document notes that the "First promotion of 'Home on a Farm' schemes has been completed." It is noteworthy that there are no further actions proposed. The relevant back story appears to be here, where Andrew Stunell is reported as "calling for" farmers to put their properties forward and planners to look on applications favourably, regardless of current development plan But we are not aware what lay behind the story. Have planners been written to? According to the Daily Telegraph, they have.
More detail can be found in the monthly updates to the Structural Reform Plan . In September the update noted that the deadline for promoting the scheme had been missed. The reason given was:
"We are continuing to examine how ‘Home on the Farm’ can be set alongside the Community Right to Build, which gives rural communities the power to give the green light to new developments in their area. An announcement on this will be made shortly."
The next update, in Ocobter, reviewing progress against previously missed deadlines, noted the following:
"Andrew Stunell promoted the scheme on 18 October in the Telegraph, on BBC Radio 4 Farming Today and BBC Radio stations in Manchester, Cornwall, Cumbria, Lincolnshire and Sheffield. The Community Right to Build"
The final sentence, starting "The Community Right to Build" is incomplete and/or is simply left over from the previous edition, which was inadequately edited and proof-read.