“Together we can build better”
That is the motto that adorns The Right to Build Register. An online tool for promoting and facilitating self-build and custom housebuilding in the UK through landowners and professional developers.
With tools such as these continuing to shape the self-build industry, it’s important to understand how they can help you get your project off the ground. That’s why we’re here to tell you what the register is and how it works.
HOW THE RIGHT TO BUILD REGISTER WORKS
As part of the Custom Build Housebuilding Act 2015, the Right to Build Register requires local authorities to provide sufficient land provision for those looking to build their own homes. This is done by granting new planning permissions for the sale of prepared building plots on a rolling three-year basis.
The Right to Build came into effect on 31st April 2016, with the new legislation coming soon after. By law, local authorities in England must now hold a list of people and groups interested in building their own homes. This notifies them of how many people in their region have these intentions. Not only does this assist authorities in supplying building plots, but it also enables individuals to find the right plot in a timelier manner.
The data collected from the register can inform the design of new spaces, ensuring they are created with precision and with consideration to local residents. It can also inform the housing mix and tenure, as it enables places to come forward that respond to the needs of real people looking to engage locally.
The Right to Build Register also uses collected data to overturn appeals for custom and self-build housing where local authorities incorrectly claimed there was no demand or that demand had already been met through non-compliant housing options.
When registering your details on the Right to Build Register, it will hold your information per applicable legislation related to self and custom-build obligations for local authorities as outlined in the Self-Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015.
THE REGISTRATION PROCESS
Every local authority in England and Wales has its own register and you can choose to register for a serviced plot in one authority, or multiple. You can register as an individual or as a group.
- First step? Sign up. Choose where you want to live and detail your ideal home or project.
- Next, your Local Authorities are notified of your demand. Your personal information will never be shared.
- Through data-led planning, your demand will be utilised to bring forward more opportunities for you, in areas where you wish to live.
- The register then notifies you when new opportunities reach the market or significant planning applications are made.
THE POWER OF DATA AND DEMAND
The register uses specialist reports to gather its demand data, with insights from over 130,000 individuals and counting. This makes it the largest consumer database for housing plots in the UK.
The data reveals the number of people seeking specific home sizes and types, affordable housing needs, and preferences for features like renewable technologies, workspaces and construction methods. This valuable information also holds weight in planning appeals, aligning with Government planning policies.
The register offers two products. The first being a Demand Appraisal priced at £900 + VAT. This allows you to pinpoint the number of people in an area who want to custom and self-build their own homes. The second is a more detailed Demand Assessment priced at £2500 + VAT. This profiles the people who are looking to build their own homes in a local authority area, the types of homes they want to build and their motivations for doing so.
THE FUTURE OF SELF BUILD
The team at AC Architects believe the Right to Build Register is a step in the right direction for self-build. Their understanding of Government policy and legislation and their knowledge of the self-build industry mean they could be the key to turning your dream home into a reality.
"The Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 was an important milestone reached for the development of our sector. Since 2016 the obligation on local authorities has been administered via the Right to Build Register. Unfortunately some councils have not seen the benefits brought by the RTBR – in some cases putting obstacles in the way of potential self-builders.
The registers whether held at local level or in digital format by Custom Build Homes, have a place and I would urge all potential self-builders to exercise your right to build. Please check out the links in our article and register your interest in whichever area you want to live in!"
- Allan Corfield, Head of Architecture at Custom Build Homes
If you would like to learn more about the register, visit their website and contact their specialists to discuss how they can help you!
