The Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 requires councils to keep local registers of people looking to buy plots of land to commission or build their own home. Councils are able to set local eligibility conditions and to charge a fee. There are two parts to the register:
Part 1: for those who meet the national and local eligibility conditions and have paid the fee.
Part 2: for those who only meet the national eligibility conditions and have paid the fee.
What is self-build and custom build?
Self-build usually means you are directly involved in organising the design and construction of your new home. Custom build usually means working with a specialist developer to help you deliver your home. There may be some overlap between the two, for example some custom build developers offer the option of a serviced plot where you can design and build your own home as part of a larger scheme.
Why register?
If you are registered on Part 1, we are required to give suitable development permissions for enough serviced plots of land to meet the demand within three years of the time within which your application has been entered. The timescales run between 31 October and 30 October each year. We will inform you when there are suitable plots available. There is no requirement for us to provide serviced plots to people in Part 2, but we will consider applications in Part 2 when carrying out functions related to planning, housing, the disposal of any land and re-generation.
Priority will be given to applicants who meet the local connection criteria. In addition to seeking information to understand which part of the register you are eligible for, other questions have been designed to give us a clear picture of the type of site which would meet your requirements. This includes preferences in terms of location, an understanding of your budget to build a home and how quickly you could build a new property.
Eligibility criteria
The national criteria for eligibility are as follows:
Applicants must:
- be aged 18 or older.
- be a British citizen, a national of a European Economic Area (EEA) State other than the United Kingdom or a national of Switzerland.
- be seeking to build a home as your sole or main residence.
- have paid any fee required by the relevant authority to join or remain on the register.
You must provide evidence of one of the eligibility criteria.
Where an association applies, all members must meet all of the criteria to get onto Part 1.
For a local connection to be established, you must be able to provide evidence of one of the following criteria:
- Currently live in the District of Tandridge and have done so for at least one year or have previously resided in the district for 3 out of the last 5 years. (Evidence – Council tax bill).
- Are in employment within the Council area and have been employed in this role for more than 16 hours per week for the last two years. (Recent Pay slip or employment contract).
- Have immediate family (i.e., mother, father, son, daughter) who have lived in the district for 5 or more years. (Name and address of the family member and Council tax bill).
- Currently serve in the regular armed forces of the Crown or have left regular service within the last 5 years. (Armed forces Identification/veteran id cards).
Once your completed form and payment have been received and your application assessed, we will write to you with the outcome of your application confirming whether you are eligible for entry onto the register and if you are eligible, which part you are eligible for.
How can I register?
If you are interested in registering for a self-build plot, please complete and submit the form below. We charge fees for entry onto and to remain on the register. The entry fee is £100. If you are registered on the part 1 register the yearly renewal fee is £25. These fees will need to be paid before we can consider your application. These charges will be reviewed each year to ensure the fees cover our costs.
Next steps
Once we receive your completed application form and fee, we will assess your application to decide which part of the register you are eligible for.
We may also request further information if required to enable us to place you in the correct part of the register.
We will write to confirm if you have been successful within 28 days of the date of your application.