Help for people to build their own homes

Harborough District Council is encouraging anyone wanting to develop a property in the Harborough district to register their interest using a form on the council’s website.

The aim is to gather information on the number of interested individuals or groups wishing to self build, so the council can negotiate with landowners and developers to make plots available for self and custom house building.

The potential benefits of self build in meeting the housing needs of Harborough district include:

• the delivery of lower cost market and affordable housing for local people
• job opportunities for local residents in the construction industry
• more choice of housing types for buyers coming on to the market

Any information registered will be held in confidence and will help the council make provision for housing sites for self building in the future. 

Those who register will be kept informed about establishing future plots for self or custom building.

Cllr Phil King, Harborough District Council portfolio holder for planning and regeneration, said: “The council is committed to supporting access to both affordable social housing and low cost homes for local people, including supporting people wishing to build their own homes. This register, at the individual’s or group’s request, can put them in touch with those who can help make their projects happen and provide updates on potentially available land.”

Register an interest in building your own home at www.harborough.gov.uk/self-build

Find out more about building your own home

More information on self build

Self build housing typically involves individuals commissioning the construction of a new house from a builder, contractor, package company or physically building a house for themselves. Custom build housing is when someone commissions a specialist developer to help to deliver their own home, while self build is when someone directly organises the design and construction of their new home.

Self build includes community-led housing projects which build mostly affordable homes for the benefit of the community, either individually or in cooperation with a builder or housing provider.  This could be undertaken through a Community Land Trusts which is are non-profit, community-based organisations that can develop housing, employment space, community facilities that meet the needs of the community and is owned and controlled by the community.

Development by a Community Land Trust – which enable people in housing need to self build their own affordable homes in existing towns and villages – is normally made available at affordable levels.