To approve the introduction of local connection criteria for entry on the Council’s Self and Custom Build Register and to approve the content of that criteria as set out in Paragraph 2.1 of the report.

1.      That a local connection criteria be introduced for entry onto the Council’s Self-Build and Custom Housebuilding Register.

2.      That the local connection criteria, as set out at Paragraph 2.1 of the report, be APPROVED.  

101.1         The report of the Head of Development Services, circulated at Pages No. 48-53, sought approval to introduce a local connection criteria, under Regulation 5(2) of the Self-Build and Custom Housebuilding Regulations 2016, for entry onto the Council’s Self-Build and Customer Housebuilding Register.

101.2         The Head of Development Services explained that the Self-Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 placed a duty on the Council to prepare and maintain a register of individuals or groups who were interested in undertaking a self-build or custom housebuilding project. On 31 October 2016, the Self-Build and Custom Housebuilding (Register) Regulations 2016 came into force and this gave local authorities the power to introduce an additional ‘local connection test’ for anyone seeking to join the Register, as well as placing a duty on local authorities to grant planning permissions for enough serviced plots to meet the demand on the Register in any given year. The benefit of the local connection test was to give the Council the ability to ensure that the Register was truly reflective of the local demand for plots.

101.3         The Committee was referred to Page No. 50, Paragraph 2.1, which set out the criteria for the local connection test; only those applicants who met one of the elements would be eligible for inclusion on Part 1 of the Register. In the event that an application was from a group of individuals each of the households would be required to meet the criteria.

101.4         Accordingly, it was