Get early bird tickets to our brand new show
30th-31st May 2026 - time to get your dream home started!
GET TWO FREE TICKETS HERE30th-31st May 2026 - time to get your dream home started!
GET TWO FREE TICKETS HEREEstimate your project costs instantly with Build It's interactive self-build cost calculator
Calculate NowGet an accurate, detailed cost breakdown of your project
Submit plansHi,
I have identified a reasonably priced plot that usually would be something to steer clear of – it’s outside (just) a village boundary and on greenfield land. However, the council in question (South Holland) are not currently meeting their five year housing supply requirement.
I’ve read that this means the councils grounds for refusing planning applications are restricted.
In reality, how much of a difference does this make to the viability of a plot like this? Does the lack of a five year supply mean the council are obliged to approve almost anything assuming I don’t plan to build a huge steel pyramid or the like?
I am planning a modest 1.5 storey 2/3 bed. To help with my minuscule budget it would be great to be able to wangle permission on a plot that’s priced with the assumption it can’t be built on!
Many thanks,
Ben
Where a council cannot show a five year housing land supply, its housing policies are deemed to be out of date, and so don’t carry their normal weight in decision making. As a result, new housing can be allowed outside housing or built up area boundaries, subject to the location being considered ‘sustainable’.
It helps if there’s a pavement and street lighting between your plot and the village, or possibly public transport – a bus stop or station – that’s easily accessible. It also helps if the plot would still be reasonably contained by other houses, rather than being an isolated feature in open countryside.
Different councils interpret these things in different ways, so it would be worth a scour of applications to see if any comparable schemes have been decided recently, and how they got on.
Bear in mind that the council’s approach to design won’t change as a result of the shortfall, so it’s definitely not a case of ‘anything goes’.
Mike Dade (planning consultant & Build It expert)