Ms Claire McManus:

We have, over the years, talked to a number of community groups which are looking to run a community-led project. The level of risk is very high for them as they move through the process. Upfront investment is required. When we talk about construction risk, what we mean is uncertainty at the start of a project for anyone, be that a community or a developer. When one is looking at a site, one has no idea whether it will fit 20 or 40 dwellings. Any time there is risk, there is profit because you have to allow for a worst-case scenario in your plan, and anything over and above that is profit. That risk and uncertainty are adding to the costs. That is putting off smaller players and, in particular, community groups. That is sometimes happening when community groups are halfway through the process and have already invested significant money on design teams, etc. This goes back to the points that Mr. Stevens raised earlier about creating certainty and predictability in the planning system. If that was in place, we, as a design team, could offer some certainty to a community group that there is a three-dimensional development plan in place. We could tell community groups that they will get two-, three- or four-storey dwellings on a particular site and be able to say they will more than likely fit 30 units on a site. Those groups would then be able to plan around that. The system at the moment is so uncertain that the value proposition is not great for anyone but that is particularly the case for community groups that do not have money to gamble or time to invest in such a long process.