Under the Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015, all local authorities are now required to keep a register of individuals, and groups of individuals, within their area who are seeking to acquire serviced plots of land for self or custom build housing. Furthermore, local authorities are obligated to ensure that sufficient plots of land are made available to meet this demand within 3-years, either through preparation of their local plan or the granting of planning permission on these plots.

This requirement has been in place since 1st April 2016, so more than 6-years on, how effective has this policy been in supporting the increased delivery of self and custom build housing? We can review the latest reported figures which were released in April 2022, and cover the period up to October 2021, to gain an insight.

For England as a whole, 12,263 new individuals joined the register between October 2020 and October 2021 which means the total number of individuals joining the register since April 2016 now stands at 58,813. By comparison, across the same 12-month period, only 8,309 planning permissions were granted for serviced plots, suggesting that planning is failing to keep pace with increasing demand.

Across the 10 north-west authorities, an additional 416 individuals joined the register in the 12-month period from October 2020 to 2021, taking the total number of individual registrations since April 2016 to 1,782.

By comparison, the same 10 local authorities only granted planning permission for 154 serviced plots between October 2020 and October 2021 and since April 2016, the total number of serviced plots granted planning consent amounts to just 588. A full breakdown of the figures is included below:

The figures clearly demonstrate an under provision of suitable self-build plots across the north-west and it is further noted that many people are unaware that self-build registers even exist, causing a significant under-reporting of the overall demand for serviced plots. Furthermore, local authorities are not required to provide you with the exact type of plot in the ideal location you are looking for. As a result, many of the consented plots considered in the figures above do not actually meet the requirements of aspiring self-builders.

Therefore, whilst the self-build registers provide a useful tool for estimating the overall demand for self-build housing, they are, as yet, failing to provide sufficient serviced plots to satisfy this demand. As a result, aspiring self-builders need to utilise other tools in order to identify and acquire plots which are suitable for their potential future homes.

Unearthed provide a unique plot-search service whereby we take your specific requirements and produce a bespoke report which details all potentially suitable plots within your area of search. We then guide you through the process of acquiring a plot, from initially making contact with landowners, to agreeing purchase terms and eventually completing the acquisition.

To discuss your requirements in more detail through an initial no-obligation consultation, please get in touch to find out how we can help you: jordan@unearthed.land