Eleven English councils have agreed to provide land under the Right to Build scheme, launched by the government to increase custom and self-build homes in the UK.


The eleven councils will receive a share of a £500,000 pot and represent the pilot programme for the government’s new policy and will determine how the policy is rolled out throughout the rest of the country to increase self-builds.


They are: Cherwell District Council; South Cambridgeshire District Council; Teignbridge District Council; Shropshire Council; Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council; West Lindsey District Council; Exmoor and Dartmoor National Park Authorities; Pendle Borough Council; Sheffield City Council; South Norfolk District Council; Stoke-on-Trent City Council.


A register will be established by each council for prospective self-builders in the area which will then enable them to be matched up to potential plots and shovel ready sites.


Builders who wish to be part of the process will have to go through the normal planning process and the council will then offer be required to offer land for sale at market value.


The Conservative-led coalition government has been shifting the responsibility to councils to combat larger organisations land banking.


Housing minister Brandon Lewis said the government was “determined to help anyone who aspires to own their own home – whether that’s buying on the open market through schemes like our Help to Buy, or to build”.