From 1 April 2016, Cannock Chase Council is required to maintain a register of individuals and associations seeking to acquire a service plot of land within the borough for the purpose of building a house as their sole or main residence as a self-build or custom build.
What is a self-build and custom build?
A self-build is a project where someone directly organises the design and construction of their new home. In a custom build, you work with a specialist developer to help build your home. There will often be overlap between the two types, but the linking factor is that you will be building a bespoke dwelling for your own occupation.
Purpose of the register
The government wants to encourage more people to build or commission their own home in order to increase housing delivery. The Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act requires local authorities to publicise and keep a register of those who are seeking to acquire serviced plots of land in that authority’s area.
You do not need to be on the register to carry out a self-build or custom build project. You can still find a site, apply for planning permission and build it yourself as normal. Neither does being on the register mean that the council is obliged to find you a site for your project.
The register will provide evidence for the council of the demand for self-build and custom builds in the borough and will inform work on the council’s Local Plan, preparing housing strategies and when disposing of land. In the long term this could mean the council allocating land in its Local Plan for self-build projects, or adopting policies to make plots available through other development, if there is evidence of enough demand.
How to register
To register please complete the Self-Build and Custom Build Registration Form.
Applications can be made by individuals or associations. However, in all cases, in order to be entered onto the register, you must be:
- over 18
- a national of the UK, the European Economic Area, or Switzerland
- looking for a plot of land within Cannock Chase District to occupy as your sole or main residence
Forms should be returned to the council by emailing planningpolicy@cannockchasedc.gov.uk or by writing to Planning Policy at Cannock Chase Council, Civic Centre, Beecroft Road, Cannock, WS11 1BG.
You must provide all of the relevant information on the registration form. You will then receive notification within 28 days that either a) your application has been successful, and you have been entered onto the register, or b) that you have not been successful and the reasons for this.
How we use your personal information
The information that you have provided will be used by Cannock Chase Council, who are the data controller, to enable us to fulfil our legal duties with regard to self build and custom build housing.
Any personal information that you provide to us will not be published, although we will use aggregate data (for example: total number of entries on the register, average number of plots sought) to provide evidence of the amount of demand for self-build and custom housing in the district. Your personal details will be held on the Planning Policy team database although we may need to share these with other departments in Cannock Chase Council (but not with other organisations) to help us fulfil our legal duties. If we need to share information beyond Cannock Chase Council we will not do so without your express written consent and will write to you to obtain this. We will retain your data until either: a) you request removal from the register or b) you are no longer eligible to be included on the register
If at any time you wish to be removed from the register, you can request this in writing and your details will be removed from the register within 28 days.
For further information, please see www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/PrivacyNotice