The idea
Allow people to build homes on their own land, for the purpose of living in them, without applying for planning permission.
Why is it important?
The restriction of the supply of residential land, imposed by means of the planning permission regime, is the main reason why plot prices are so ridiculously high. The idea of a plot of land, big enough for a family home, costing five times the average annual income, would be considered to be truly absurd in most of the world.
If a farmer wants to sell half an acre to someone who wants to build themselves a teepee and live in it, let them.
Encourage the amazing diversity, individual initiative and self-education that would flourish, were people allowed to design and build their own homes and live in them the way they want to.
A good idea to a point.
The situation in North Devon is dire. When barns can be converted, or lodges and shalets can be built for holiday usage but not for permanent use the situation is absurd. Excesively strict planning regulations increase rural poverty by pricing the majority of the local population out of the market as the most derelict of buildings or the rare plot of land with development consent is only affordable for developers or for those on much higher incomes than the general local population. It leads to the slow decay of villages as they slowly but surely become consumed by the spread of holiday homes.
Remove the legal seperation between holiday and second homes, and allow people to build low impact developments on their own land provided present environmental concerns are met.