Self-build and custom-build housing
Self-build means building your own home. With self-build you can partly or wholly control the design, funding, planning and building of your home. This can involve building part or all your home yourself or alternatively hiring a contractor to do the same.
Self-builders can work as individuals or as a group.
There are practical differences between self-build, where you guide all decisions, and custom housebuilding where you choose between pre-made decisions. However, as regulations do not differentiate between them, when we talk about self-build, we are talking about both.
Benefits of self-build
Self-build can offer an alternative to traditional home ownership and an opportunity to own a sustainable and high-quality designed home.
Additionally, most self-build projects could be exempt from Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements if they are small-scale, whilst also being eligible to be exempt from Community Infrastructure Levy when correctly following the process. However, it is still subject to council tax and any applicable parish council charges.
Local policy
Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC) is committed to supporting both affordable and market housing and is working to make it easier for more people to build their own home. You can base your projects on similar cases as those listed in the statistics section below, and our Climate Change Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) can inspire your sustainable design choices.
As a local authority, we have a duty to keep a self-build register, but we currently do not have development plan policies requiring new housing development percentage for self and custom build plots. However, we are preparing a new development plan called the Strategic and Local Plan (SLP) that could potentially review whether to include this requirement.
Cheltenham Borough Council does not have a local connection test, therefore there is no order of priority within the register. Being in the register for a longer period of time does not equal a priority.
Self build register
By law we have to keep a register of people, individually or grouped, who have expressed an interest in self-build and custom build projects.
By signing up you are not making any commitment, but you will help us find out more about the demand for these type of housing schemes in Cheltenham.
Registration also means that we will contact you if we are officially notified of a suitable plot of land becoming available for self-build.
To be entered into the register you must:
- be aged 18 or over
- be a British citizen, a national of an EEA State other than the United Kingdom, or a national of Switzerland and
- want to acquire a serviced plot of land (a plot with connection to highway, electricity and to waste and drinkable water) in Cheltenham for your own self-build or custom housebuilding
Councils can choose to add a local connection test. This means prioritising certain applications that can demonstrate they have family, work or have lived within the area. Cheltenham Borough Council does not currently have a local connection test.
If you would like to register an interest in building your own home, please initially email the following information to Planning.Policy@cheltenham.gov.uk:
- Name, address and email address
- Title, age and nationality
- Connection to the intended self-build area
- Please state if your project is self-build or custom build
- Please state what you want to build and if you know how many bedrooms you would like.
- Please state where you wish to build the self-build project described above, please state the address, ward and postcode.
- Please state the finances you may have in place for this self-build project
- Please state what you have done to progress the self-build project to date
- Please state what additional help would be useful to progress the self-build project
If your information is complete, we will enter you into the register within 30 days and send confirmation by email. We will get in contact if your information is incomplete or if we need further clarification.
If you want us to amend or erase your records from the register, write to the same email shown above and we will do that within 30 days.
Sources of help, advice and funding
For help finding what type of self-build is best for you and your budget visit the self-build portal.
If you are looking for a building plot visit:
Statistics
As requested by central government in the planning practice guidance, we have collated statistics about current applicants' preferences on the register. These applicants registered between 1 April 2016 and 31 October 2024 and all information has been anonymised. This information is to be used by our planning teams, developers and individuals to inform any developments coming forward, to meet the demand for self and custom-build homes in Cheltenham. This will be updated every 12 months.
As of 31 October 2023, 116 entries are contained in the register and the total number of requested plots is 127.
Annual statistics breaking down the key facts from the self-build register
The following is a list of planning permissions granted by Cheltenham Borough Council that specifically describe elements of self-build or have successfully submitted Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Form 7: Self-Build Exemption Claim Form Part 1.
- 18/02581/FUL Cromwell Court, Greenway Lane. Demolition of existing dwelling and construction of 8x self & custom-build dwellings of 4+ bedrooms with associated works. Permitted 21/03/2019.
- 19/02417/FUL Fiddlers Green Lodge, Pheasant Lane. Erection of 2 no. self-build dwellings including landscaping, footpath and passing bay. Permitted 29/01/2020.
- 18/02551/FUL 41 Lyefield Road West. Alterations and conversion of existing building to create a two-bedroom dwelling with parking (revised scheme). Permitted 15/02/2019. CIL Form 7 Pt 2 submitted 12/10/2020.
- 18/02440/FUL Wayside, Balcarras Road. Erection of replacement dwelling. Permitted 25/01/2019. CIL Form 7 Pt 2 submitted 11/05/2021.
- 18/02404/FUL 73 Moorend Park Road. Erection of replacement dwelling. Permitted 14/02/2019. CIL Form 7 Pt 2 submitted 14/05/2021.
- 19/01440/FUL Oakfield Rise, Ashley Road. Erection of replacement dwelling. Permitted 28/10/2019. CIL Form 7 Pt 2 submitted 21/09/2021.
- 21/02409/FUL Avenue Lodge, Chargrove Lane. Construction of 1 no. new self-build dwelling in rear garden (Revised scheme of planning application ref. 21/00540/FUL). Permitted 21/01/2022.
- 22/01314/FUL Atherstone, 17 Church Road. New proposed self build bungalow (r/o no. 17). Permitted 22/09/2022.
- 22/02153/OUT OUTLINE 26 Pilford Road. Self-build detached dwelling on land to rear of existing dwelling. Permitted 06/12/2022.
- 22/02101/FUL Land Adj Lilleybrook Golf Club, Cirencester Road. Self-build retirement dwelling (revised scheme 21/02693/FUL). Permitted 23/03/2023.
- 23/01432/FUL 3 Battledown Close Charlton. Erection of replacement self-build dwelling. Permitted 02/02/2024.
- 24/00787/FUL Dunkeld Ashley Road. Erection of self-build dwelling following demolition of existing dwelling. Permitted 27/06/2024.
- 24/00854/FUL Rossella 29 Brookway Road. Erection of new self-build dwelling following demolition of existing bungalow. Permitted 16/08/2024.
- 24/01353/FUL Car Park Idsall Drive, Prestbury. Erection of 1no. self-build dwelling with associated access and landscaping. Permitted 05/02/2025.
- 24/01821/FUL Land Between 43 And 45 Market Street. Erection of a new two storey self-build terrace dwelling on the plot of land located between 43 - 45 Market Street, with associated hard and soft landscaping. Permiited 28/02/2025.
- 25/00008/FUL Sandford Park House 39 - 41 London Road. Erection of self build residential dwelling at the rear of 39 - 41 London Road. Permitted 18/09/2025
- 25/00947/FUL Kingston Overton Park Road. Erection of 1no. self-build single storey dwelling on land adjacent to Kingston. Permitted 05/09/2025.
