Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Register – Guidance Note

What is self-build and custom build?

The Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 (as amended by the Housing and Planning Act 2016, from here referred to as ‘the Act’) defines self-build and custom housebuilding as where an individual, an association of individuals, or persons working with or for individuals or associations of individuals, build or complete houses to be occupied as homes by those individuals. The Act makes no distinction between self-build and custom housebuilding. 

What is the purpose of the self-build and custom housebuilding register?

The Act sets out that Spelthorne Borough Council has a duty to keep a self-build and custom housebuilding register (‘the Register’), which is a register of individuals and associations of individuals who are seeking to acquire serviced plots of land in the authority’s area for their own self-build and custom housebuilding.

The Register has been split into two parts, known as Part 1 and Part 2.  Applicants who meet all the eligibility criteria will be entered onto Part 1 of the Register.  Applicants who fail the local connection test but meet the remaining criteria will be included on Part 2 of the Register.  Applicants who fail to meet any of the other criteria for inclusion will be refused entry onto the Register.

The Act places a duty on the Council to, within three years of a base period (i.e. 31 October to 30 October each year), grant planning permissions for a number of plots of land suitable for self-build and custom housebuilding equivalent to the number of entries on Part 1 of the Register in that base period. Entries on Part 2 of the Register do not count towards the number of plots needed to be permitted.

Section 2(1) of the Act places a duty on the Council to have regard to the Register when carrying out its planning, housing, land disposal and regeneration functions. This could for instance mean that the Register is taken into account when preparing planning policies for the Borough, when local housing strategies are produced, and in regeneration plans. For this duty both Part 1 and Part 2 of the Register are taken into account.

Who can register?

In order to be eligible for entry on the Register, applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

• be aged 18 or older;
• be a British citizen, a national of an EEA State other than the United Kingdom, or a national of Switzerland;
• satisfy the financial solvency test (explained in further detail below and in Table 1);
• be seeking (either alone or with others) to acquire a serviced plot of land in the relevant authority’s area for their own self-build and custom housebuilding project; and
• have paid the fee of £80 in the case of an individual, or £130 in the case of an association of individuals.  

The above requirements make an applicant eligible for Part 2 of the Register. To be eligible for Part 1 of the Register the applicant needs to fulfil the local connection test (explained in further detail below and in Table 1).  

If an individual or an association is already registered on Part 1 of the Register and wishes to remain on the Register an annual fee of £35 is payable from the year following the year of initial entry onto the Register. Note this fee does not apply to individuals or associations on part 2 of the Register.

Financial solvency test

To be eligible for entry on the register an applicant must evidence that they have funds available, equal to or more than £221,727. This can be evidenced by submitting bank statements showing savings or by an in-principle bank loan.  

This figure is estimated by using the most up-to-date land value estimates by Government available1. This data is from 2019 and estimates residential land value in Spelthorne to be £6,000,000 per hectare with an assumed density of 35 dwellings per hectare.  Adjusted for inflation, this equals £7,760,450.38 in 2025. By dividing this figure by 35 we can estimate a conservative figure for the cost of a single plot in 2025.

Local connection test

To be eligible for entry on Part 1 of the Register an applicant must evidence that they fulfil at least one of the following four criteria;

• The applicant has been living in the Borough for three consecutive years; or
• The applicant has previously lived in the Borough for a period of three consecutive years within the past 10 years; or
• The applicant is currently employed in the Borough and has been for the past 12 consecutive months; or
• The applicant is current or former personnel of the armed forces (who have been out of service for a maximum period of 3 years).

This can be evidenced through the submission of utility bills, payslips, a self-employment statement with supporting evidence, or evidence to prove active service in the armed forces within the last 3 years.

How to register for the self-build and custom housebuilding register

Registration for the Register can be completed using the online form that can be found on this web page. If you cannot complete this form for any reason, please contact the team via planning.policy@spelthorne.gov.uk.

Table 1. Eligibility requirements