INDIVIDUAL SELF-PROVISION AND THE SCOTTISH HOUSING SYSTEM

This paper provides a preliminary examination of individual self-provi sion of housing in Scotland; that is, instances where individuals are directly involved in the production of their own house, rather than bu ying a house on the market. After a brief overview of the history of i ndividual self-provision in Britain, the characteristics of the sector in Britain, and particularly in Scotland, are outlined. The core of t he paper reports the results of a pilot survey of self-provision in Sc otland. Four issues are examined: the type of self-provision; land ava ilability; relationships with commercial interests; and local housing systems and access. It is concluded that self-provision is an importan t but mostly unrecognised source of new housing provision, whose incid ence depends crucially on the nature of local housing systems and the extent to which planning policies are favourable in terms of land rele ase and development control.