Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) on the Council’s Register which currently operates and summarises the current level of demand.

The report of the Executive Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) explained how the Council’s Register currently operated and summarised the current level of demand.

Since 1 April 2016 and consistent with its legal duty, the Council had publicised and maintained a Register of individuals and associations of individuals who wished to acquire serviced plots of land for Self-build and Custom Housebuilding in the Borough.

This was part of the Government’s strategy to increase housing delivery and was referred to in the Housing White Paper as a means of providing more choice in the market.

A legal duty to grant development permission for enough serviced plots to meet the demand for Self-build and Custom Housebuilding in the Borough had come into force. Regulations set out the time for compliance with the duty and provided relevant authorities with the option of introducing new local eligibility conditions (subject to consultation) and a fee to enter into and remain on the Register.

Members were advised that the term Self-build was being used to describe a situation where individuals or groups are involved in creating their own home.  The amount of personal involvement in the project could vary from directly organising the design and carrying out the construction to commissioning people to construct the home via a developer/enabler.  It can also be a group of people setting themselves up as an organisation to construct a number of homes.

Further consideration was given to the eligibility for Part 2 of the Register – whereby applicants would be eligible for entry onto this Part 2 if they met all of the eligibility criteria apart from a local connection test.  It was noted that persons entered onto Part 2 of the Register would not count towards the assessment of local demand for Self-build and Custom Housebuilding for the purposes of section 2A of the Act, which requires authorities to grant sufficient development permission to meet that demand.  However, regard would still have to be paid to the full Register, even if it is split into Part 1 and Part 2.

Members asked about the demand for Self-build in the Borough and raised questions in respect of gardens being divided for development.  Persons serving in Armed Forces would not need to meet the residency test.

The report also made recommendations about the introduction of local eligibility conditions and made draft proposals for the introduction of a fee for applicants to enter into and remain on the Register (to be introduced at a later date).

RESOLVED:

(1)          That the proposed eligibility conditions, including a local connection and a financial resources test, be agreed by the Cabinet and made available for consultation for a six week period on the Council’s consultation portal.

(2)          That Officers report the results of the consultation back to the Panel, together with a schedule of any recommended changes as considered appropriate.

(3)          That the Panel notes the draft proposal for a fee to be set by the Council for applicants to enter the Register and that a final proposal would be included in a future report to the Panel alongside the results of consultation for recommendation to the Cabinet to agree.