AVID followers of Kevin McCloud’s Grand Designs programme who dream of building their own home could have a chance to achieve their ambition on a landmark development in Bucks.

A hundred plots for self-builders are included in a planning application for up to 1,000 new homes in the Gomm Valley.

The proposals were submitted to Wycombe District Council in February by the development company headed by former Greenpeace directors Jonathan Smales and Michael Manolson.

Locals who hope to emulate the ten diy builders in the most recent series of Grand Designs could be on their way to laying the foundations for their future home within two years.

Jonathan Smales told the BFP on Monday: “We hope to have planning consent for the development by the end of this year. If the scheme is approved as submitted, it will take about another year to do the infrastructure and the strategic landscaping.

“Once our plans get the go-ahead we’ll open a register for those interested in buying a self build plot. We’ll hold a series of open days on the site where people can see the plans for the overall development. They’ll be able to choose a plot where they want to build.”

He pointed out: “There’s a widely held misconception that self building means rolling up your sleeves and physically building the house yourself. It doesn’t. For most it means choosing the design and taking control of the build but they hire designers and contractors to do the work.”

He added: “We’ll be opening a register to which prospective self builders can add their name. At the same time we’ll have a list of approved contractors and approved architects offering a design service.”

The developer says there will be a range of options to avoid the risk of those with no previous experience of the construction industry making an ill-informed choice.

The DIY builders whose progress was followed over four years by the makers of Kevin McCloud’s Channel 4 programme all encountered problems along the way. The series was shown over six episodes starting in April.

Each participant had paid £100,000 for their plot. Most were working to a tight budget but in the final analysis not one of them regretted throwing caution to the wind and taking on the challenge of a lifetime. They all ended up smiling as the final credits rolled.

If the proposals put forward by Jonathan Smales’ company Human + Nature are given the green light he wants it to become “a development that will change lifestyles in a way that will benefit the environment as well as those who live there – a place to start out in life and a place to stay.”

The site is precious – it’s the last undeveloped chalk valley in Wycombe. It amounts to 73 hectares stretching from the Peregrine Business Park at the top of Gomm Road off the A40 London Road at Loudwater to the fields and paddocks at Ashwells close to Tylers Green.

The developers plan to plant 4,000 new trees, one kilometre of extra hedgerows and 20 hectares of species rich chalk grassland.

Until 2014 the valley was classed as a reserved greenfield site in planning terms, only to be built on when all other options had been exhausted.

Five years ago, five hitherto protected sites on the reserved list had to be released for development by Wycombe Council to enable the district to build sufficient homes to match the government’s ever mounting target to address the housing need in the UK. 

Even so only a comparatively small part of this greenfield site will actually be built on. 

More than 50 per cent of the 1,000 homes will be flats on the development named Little Haldens (old English for secluded community).

To minimalise the visual impact, it is intended the majority of the larger houses will be sensitively placed in the undulating landscape. 

The development will be divided up into three villages each with its own character.

Amenities will include community gardens and allotments and a local food programme.

The environmentalists in the driving seat estimate the scheme will take eight to ten years to complete and cost around £300 million.

“This is no ordinary development,” emphasises Mr Smales. “It has the potential to deliver the greenest and most elegant new place in England.”