The Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 requires the Council to keep a register of individuals and groups who are seeking to acquire serviced plots of land in the Borough for their own self-build and custom housebuilding. The register helps the Council to identify the level of demand for self/custom housebuilding plots in the Borough.

What is Self-Build and Custom Housebuilding?

The terms 'Self-Build' and 'Custom Build' are used to describe situations where individuals or groups are involved in creating their own home. The amount of personal involvement will vary.

Self-Build projects are where an individual directly organises and commissions the design and construction of their new home.

Custom Build homes are where a developer co-ordinates the whole process for the person/ people involved.

What is Self-Build housing?

Where you organise and design the construction of your own home. You then need to choose how, listed below are some of the options available to you: 

  • Self-build one-off home: you manage the design and construction process and are physically involved in part or all of the construction of your home.
  • Contractor built one-off home: you manage the design process and appoint a contractor to build the home to your specification.
  • Kit home: you select your preferred kit home and possible establish the foundations, the kit home company then erects the home.
  • Independent community collaboration: you work with others to acquire a site to split into plots then organise the design and construction of your own home.
  • Supported community self-build group: a social landlord or the Community Self-Build Agency helps you build a group of homes together.

What is Custom Build housing?

Where you work with a specialist developer to deliver your own home. There are also different options available with this method as follows:

  • Developer built one-off home: a developer builds a single home that the self-builder completes.
  • Developer led group project: a developer will organise a group and builds the homes that the self-builder completes.

Self-Build and Custom Housebuilding Register

To be included on the register, complete the application form. 

Applicants must meet all of the eligibility criteria for entry on the register. Each individual applicant and every member of an association of individuals that applies for entry on the register must:

  • be aged 18 or older;
  • be a British citizen, a national of a EEA State other than the United Kingdom, or a national of Switzerland; and
  • be seeking (either alone or with others) to acquire a serviced plot of land in East Staffordshire for their own self-build and custom housebuilding project.

What happens to your information?

The information gathered helps the Council find out more about the demand for self and custom-build plots in East Staffordshire, where people would like their plot to be and the type of dwelling that they would like to build. The register will also help to inform the development of planning and housing policy.

Personal details included on the form will not be made public, but headline information will be published annually in monitoring reports. For example, since 2016 the Government has collated and published self-build and custom housebuilding data for all relevant local planning authorities in England.

The Council will keep the register under review and update it on a regular basis. The Council may seek confirmation from those on the register of their continued interest in building in the Borough at certain intervals to ensure that the register remains accurate, if you wish at any time to change your preferences or details please resubmit the form or contact planningpolicy@eaststaffsbc.gov.uk

Inclusion on the register is simply an expression of interest that an individual or an association is looking to acquire a self or custom-build plot in a particular locality. The Council has a duty to ensure sufficient plots are provided to meet the demand in the Borough as a whole, but there is no duty to permission land which specifically meets the requirements expressed by those on the register. Self and custom-build homes are subject to the same requirement for planning permission as other homes. Inclusion on the self-build and custom housebuilding register does not guarantee planning permission, nor does it prejudice any planning decision the Council may make for a particular site. 

Further Information