Housing and Planning Act 2016

9 Definitions

(1) In section 1 of the Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 (register of persons seeking to acquire land), before subsection (1) insert—

“(A1) In this Act “self-build and custom housebuilding” means the building or completion by—

(a) individuals,

(b) associations of individuals, or

(c) persons working with or for individuals or associations of individuals,

of houses to be occupied as homes by those individuals.

(A2) But it does not include the building of a house on a plot acquired from a person who builds the house wholly or mainly to plans or specifications decided or offered by that person.”

(2) In subsection (1) of that section—

(a) omit “(including bodies corporate that exercise functions on behalf of associations of individuals)”;

(b) for “in order to build houses for those individuals to occupy as homes” substitute “for their own self-build and custom housebuilding”.

(3) After subsection (6) of that section insert—

“(6A) In this section—

• “association of individuals” includes a body corporate that exercises functions on behalf of an association of individuals;

• “completion” does not include anything that falls outside the definition of “building operations” in section 55(1A) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990;

• “home”, in relation to an individual, means the individual’s sole or main residence.”

(4) In section 5 of that Act (interpretation)—

(a) at the appropriate place insert—

• ““self-build and custom housebuilding” has the meaning given by section 1;”;

(b) for the definition of “serviced plot of land” substitute—

• ““serviced plot of land” means a plot of land that—

  (a)

  has access to a public highway and has connections for electricity, water and waste water, or

  (b)

  can be provided with those things in specified circumstances or within a specified period;”;

(c) at the end of that section (the existing text of which becomes subsection (1)) insert—

“(2) Regulations may amend the definition of “serviced plot of land” by adding further services to those mentioned in paragraph (a).”