FAQs
FAQs
What is the Right to Build?
Since 2016, a law has been in place that allows individuals to build or have their own homes built in the areas they desire to live. This means that people have the right to choose where and how their homes are constructed. In England, every local authority has an obligation to meet the demand for custom and self-build housing. They do this by granting new planning permissions for the sale of prepared (serviced) building plots, on a rolling three-year basis.
To ensure compliance with the Self and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015, all local planning authorities must keep a register. This register helps track the demand for custom and self-build homes. National planning policy emphasises the significance of this demand when deciding on planning applications and appeals. In fact, our data has been crucial in overturning 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.
The information we have on the Right to Build Register is extremely detailed, and many local authorities use our data to populate their registers. This benefits both the authorities, by ensuring a steady supply of building plots, and local individuals by enabling them to find suitable plots more quickly.
Data is becoming a major factor in determining planning permissions in the UK. By making it available to those developing land, it can be used to inform the design of new places, ensuring they are sensitively created, considering the impact of new homes for homebuyers as well as current local residents. It can also inform the housing mix and tenure, as we enable places to come forward that respond to the needs of real people looking to engage locally.
What happens to my data?
YOUR DATA WILL HELP SHAPE THE UK HOUSING MARKET.
The Right to Build Register is a safe and compliant platform. Your data will be held on a secure national server and no data will be passed to third parties without your express permission.
When registering your details on the Right to Build Register, we 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 information you provide when registering, such as how big you want your house to be, or how much you have to spend on it, ensures councils can make better-informed decisions and bring forward more sites with suitable serviced plots, for self or custom build.
Under no circumstances will we pass your data to third parties without your express permission.
What is Custom Build?
When purchasing a serviced plot for building a home in the UK, there are two main options: self-building and custom building. Here are the key differences:
1. Self-building:
- Full control over design and specifications.
- Hands-on involvement in construction.
- High level of personalisation.
- Planning permission is required.
- Potential cost savings and flexibility.
2. Custom building:
- Collaboration with professionals.
- Design options provided by the developer.
- Reduced hands-on involvement.
- Planning permission may be needed.
- Fixed or pre-determined price, with some customisation options.