New duties have been introduced which require Local Planning Authorities to give suitable development permission in respect of enough serviced plots of land to meet the demand for self-build and custom housebuilding in the authority’s area arising in each base period.
The Self-Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 requires each relevant authority to keep a register of individuals and associations of individuals who are seeking to acquire serviced plots of land in the authority’s area in order to build houses for those individuals to occupy as homes.
The Housing and Planning Act 2016 has inserted section 2A to the Self-Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 which sets out the duty to grant suitable permission to meet the demand for self-build and custom housebuilding. This new duty was brought into place on 31 October 2016 by the Housing and Planning Act 2016 (Commencement No.2, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Regulations 2016.
The first base period runs from the 01 April 2016 to 31 October 2016 and then each further base period will be every 12 months from that point.
It is currently unclear how Local Authorities will interpret the new duties and consider them in the light of relevant policy. It is however relevant to note that the new duty is a legislative requirement rather than simply a policy aspiration. La Ronde Wright Ltd are actively promoting a number of self-build developments in the Norfolk area.
