Custom building update

This is a blog about the law relating to self and custom building and how it is working. The Government publicise data on the working of the Act that shows between 31 October 2022 and 30 October 2023, - 4,849 new individuals joined the register and 2,436 were removed, a net increase of 2,413 • 64,233 individuals were on the register as at 30 October 2023, an increase of 4% from 31 October 2022[ • 81 new groups joined the register and 28 were removed, a net increase of 53 • 747 groups were on the register as at 30 October 2023, an increase of 8% from 31 October 2022[ • 5,182 planning permissions were granted for serviced plots suitable for self and custom build, a decrease of 18% from the previous year There is a three year rolling programme so relating households and groups to the provision cannot be exact but there seems to be a considerable shortfall in supply. And demand seems to be growing if not to the levels found by NACSBA in their Mori survey that several million households would like to custom build.The increase in 'groups' is also interesting. In my much more limited survey I can find no recognition of the potential of custom-splitting as a way of meeting the demand for custom-building, meeting housing needs through more efficient use of existing housing stock, ensuring that space and fabric being insulated and heated is meeting housing needs, improving mobility and accessibility and reducing the need for new building with upfront carbon emitted at levels that threaten carbon budgets for the whole economy. I have asked the Department of Housing and Communities whether the above data represents a satisfactory implementation of the Act requiring a proportionate number of serviced plots to be provided and will blog the reply. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/self-build-and-custom-housebuilding