What is self and custom housebuilding?
Self and custom housebuilding is the process where an individual, or an association or collection of individuals, are seeking a serviced plot of land to build their own home(s).
Types of self and custom build
Self-build and custom build housing can range from single house projects to larger developments. Common types include:
- Self-build individual plot – An individual buys a plot of land and builds a house. They can manage the construction process and build the house themselves or they can employ a builder, architect and project manager etc., who manage the build for them
- Collective custom build – Groups constitute themselves as an organisation to design and develop a custom build housing development which they then live in. They may build this themselves or with help from a developer to manage the project
- Community-led – Community-led housing projects, which build mostly affordable homes in the community, will enable a group of people to build homes together, either individually or in cooperation with a builder or housing provider
- Developer-led build – Developers with large sites divide them into single plots and offer a design-and-build service. This gives people a chance to customise existing house designs to suit their needs, sometimes being offered the chance to finish the interior of the house themselves
- Co-housing – A co-housing project involves a constituted group of people creating their own neighbourhood of homes with shared facilities, such as a communal house. A community ethos is at the heart of this type of housing
We manage a register to gauge the demand for serviced self and custom build plots in the borough. We use the register to coordinate planning policy efforts to ensure that the self-build needs of those on the register are met through relevant planning permissions.
What are we doing to meet the borough's self and custom build demand?
The council, as local planning authority, is required to give suitable development permission to enough serviced plots to meet the demand for self-build and custom building in the borough, which is informed by the number of entries on the register. At the end of each base period (31 October), the authority has three years to grant planning permission to an equivalent number of plots as there are entries on the register from that year. Please note, there is no duty on the authority to permission land which specifically meets the requirements expressed by those on the register.
In order to meet these requirements, the council requires self and custom build serviced plots to be provided within appropriate new developments in the borough. In February 2019 the council adopted the Ashford Local Plan 2030. One of the adopted policies, HOU6 – Self and Custom Built Development, will ensure that over the plan period (2019-2030) a steady supply of serviced self and custom build dwelling plots are provided.
Self and custom build plots will therefore be provided:
- on sites on the edge of the towns of Ashford and Tenterden delivering more than 40 dwellings,
- and at sites in the villages and rural areas delivering more than 20 dwellings.
The Ashford Local Plan 2030 allocates specific sites for the development of housing where policy HOU6 would apply. Policy HOU6 would also apply to any other applications (windfall developments) where the number of dwellings detailed above are proposed.
If such an application is granted planning permission, the details of the application will be publicised to those on the self and custom build register. You will be encouraged to contact the developer of the site to discuss the availability of self and custom build plots.
Please continue to note that entry onto the self build register does not guarantee that a suitable plot will be identified or become available. The scheme is limited by the land that becomes available so we cannot guarantee when or even if a suitable plot of land will be offered.
