Self-build and Custom Build Housing

Self-build housing, also known as Custom Build, typically involves individuals and/or associations commissioning the construction of a new house from a builder, contractor, package company or physically building a house for themselves. Sometimes developers offer the option of a serviced plot where individuals can design and build their own home as part of a larger scheme.

The Council has a register for people who are interested in self and custom build.. The register will help with informing the Council of the level of demand for self and custom build plots in the Borough. We shall use the information provided to explore ways in which it might be possible for people and plots to be brought together. Registration does not however guarantee that a suitable plot will be identified, or become available.

The Government has issued Regulations  about eligibility for entry on the register.  An individual is eligible for entry on the register if that individual is:

• aged 18 or over
• a British citizen, a national of an EEA State other than the United Kingdom, or a national of Switzerland
• seeking (either alone or with others) to acquire a serviced plot of land in the relevant authority's area to build a house to occupy as that individual's sole or main residence

If the applicant is a group or an association, each member of the association must complete the online form and fulfil the eligibility criteria.

In addition the Council has introduced a local connection test. This means that applicants who can demonstrate they have a local connection with the Borough, either through being a resident or by working in the Borough, will be entered on part one of the register. In line with the relevant regulations, those applicants on part one of the register will be counted toward the Council's need for self and custom build. Members of the armed forces and ex-service personnel who have left the armed forces in the last two years are also eligible for entry on part one of the register.

Therefore applicants must confirm whether they have:

• lived in the Borough for a minimum of 2 years; or
• been employed in the Borough, and have been employed for more than 16 hours per week for the last two years (if employment ceases the  applicant is no longer eligible); or
• be a member of the armed forces or ex-service personnel who have left the armed forces within the last two years

Applicants who do not meet the local connection test will be registered on part two of the register, and those applicants will not count as part of Fareham's identified need for self and custom build. However the Council will still keep those applicants informed of any updates relating to self and custom build in the Borough.

To Register

To register your interest in self and custom build in Fareham, please complete the online registration form.

We will not pass identifiable information from the Register on to anyone outside the Council without the written consent of the person who registered their details. From time to time we provide anonymised statistical data returns to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. We will provide information relating to relevant planning applications to registered applicants. Please contact us via email at planningpolicy@fareham.gov.uk to notify us if your circumstances change or you wish to be deleted from the register.

Additional Information

You can find more information relating to self-build and custom build at www.selfbuildportal.org.uk  and https://righttobuildtoolkit.org.uk/forum/custom-and-self-build-toolkit . If you are interested in group or community self build you can visit the Community Self Build Agency website at www.communityselfbuildagency.org.uk .

Self and Custom House Building Action Plan

In September 2018 the Council's Executive approved the Self and Custom Build Action Plan for implementation.

Key Statistics from the Self and Custom Build Register

Fareham's self and custom build register opened in April 2016. 

Number of people on the register @ 30/10/2021: 180

The self and custom build register is split into two parts as follows:

Part 1: 154 individuals

Part 2: 26 individuals

Number of groups on the register @30/10/2021: 0

When did people join the register?

The key statistics below relate to base periods 1 to 5 ending on 30th October 2021.

At the end of each base period, the Council have 3 years to permit an equivalent number of plots of land, as there are entries for that base period, which are suitable for self and custom housebuilding.

Register Data

When people apply to join the register, they are asked a series of questions to help the Council and potential developers understand what type of self or custom build development they are interested in. The following is a summary of the information provided as of 30th October 2021. The questions are multiple-choice and it should be noted that there is no restriction on the number of choices which can be selected.

When asked where they are considering a self or custom build opportunity, 119 people stated they are only considering Fareham Borough as a location, 61 include Fareham within a wider seach area.

The interactive map to the right provides details of the wards within the Borough which people indicated that would consider for their self or custom build home.

When responding to the question what type of plot are you interested in? The resposes were as follows:

178 selected Individual self-build – purchase of a single plot of land to build your own home to live in and manage the building process. 

56 selected Group custom build - a group of people come together to develop a custom build housing development. 

49 selected Developer-led custom build – a developer divides a larger site into individual plots and provides a design and build service, enabling individuals to customise their home design.  

The following table illustrates the responses to the question what type of property would you like to build:

The following table sets out the responses to the question number of bedrooms required:

More information regarding Fareham's Self and Custom Build need can be found in the Background Paper (2 MB)which has been prepared to inform the new Local Plan. For further assistance regarding self and custom build housing please contact the Planning Policy team on 01329 824326 or email planningpolicy@fareham.gov.uk.