Self build and Custom House building

Last Updated: 3 April 2024

The Self Build and Custom Housing Building Act 2015 requires Local Authorities to keep and maintain a register of individuals and groups who are seeking to acquire serviced plots to self build or custom build homes.

Self build is when you are directly involved in organising the design and construction of your new home. Custom build is when you work with a Developer to help you construct your new home. Sometimes these methods merge such as when 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.

Self Build and Custom House Building Register application form (PDF 264KB / 4 pages)

Eligibility to join our register

Any individual or each individual in a group or association will need to meet the following criteria. You must be:

• aged 18 or over
• a British Citizen, a national of Switzerland or a national of a European Economic Area (EEA) State other than the United Kingdom
• looking to acquire a serviced plot of land in the South Lakeland district (excluding the National Park areas) to build a house to live in as your sole or main residence

By joining our register, you will help us:

• find out more about the demand for serviced plots for self build and custom house building in this area
• explore ways in which we may bring people and plots together
• develop our future housing and planning policies. Our current policies can be found in our:
  • Local Plan
  • Development Management policies

Parts of the South Lakeland district are within National Parks. To express interest in self build in those areas, contact the relevant National Park planning authority to join their self build register:

Lake District National Park
Tel: 01539 724 555
Email: planning@lakedistrict.gov.uk

Yorkshire Dales National Park
Tel: 01969 652 349
Email: planning@yorkshiredales.org.uk

Our interactive boundary map outlines which planning authority covers the area where you are seeking a plot.

Remember that any self build or custom house building project will require planning advice.

Tips to find plots of land:

• Brownfield land register, tends to be larger sites
• Plot browser a national online plot finding service
• Estate Agents
• Auction Houses
• Press advertisement

Amend/removal from register

Contact us in writing to amend or remove your details from the register. In the case of an Association, the lead contact must put the request to us in writing.

Published register

Data from our register below shows the locations where current members have expressed an interest in building their own homes. Owners and Developers with serviced plots of land for sale can provide their contact and plot details to the Housing Strategy team who will pass them on to those on the register. To try and match your plot site with potential interest, please enter the location in the search field below.

Note: The general requirements of a serviced plot of land are that the plot has access to a public highway and connections for electricity, water and waste water.

Data returns

At the end of each base period, we have three years in which to permission an equivalent number of plots of land, which are suitable for self-build and custom house building, as there are entries for that base period.

Self-build plots granted permission in the base period are the number of permissions granted following the formal planning application process. Entry onto our Register does not form part of a planning application nor does it mean you will be granted permission.

Help to Build: Equity Loan

Find out about the government's loan scheme to help you own your own home: Own you home: Help to Build Scheme.

Custom and self-build homes guidance

National Custom & Self Build Association portal
Which? How to build your own home
Guidance: self build and custom housebuilding