Malmesbury Self Build
The purpose of this website is to provide residents living near to the application site with an early opportunity to view our proposals to provide serviced self build plots on the land to the east of the A429, opposite Waitrose (marked in red on the map).
More details are to follow as the detailed planning application progresses, please sign up to our mailing list to be kept informed of developments.
The Proposal
Outline Planning Permission for the principle of development on the site was granted in March 2024 and work is underway on the more detailed Reserved Matters Planning Application.
Although the proposals are illustrative at this stage and the exact layout may be subject to change, we anticipate providing approximately 26 serviced self build plots.
A mixture of plot sizes suitable for 2, 3, 4 and 5 bedroom homes will be offered.
Each serviced self build plot will be available for sale individually to buyers who wish to design and build their own home. Each plot will have services such as electricity, water and sewerage provided to the boundary ready for connection. In addition to providing services to each plot, we will provide the site infrastructure including roads, public open space and site landscaping.
We intend to offer a period of exclusivity to local residents before the plots are listed on the open market.
For more information on serviced self build plots and how to build your own home see our FAQs section.
Highways & Access
We have worked with a transport consultancy regarding any necessary changes to the road layout to ensure road safety for both vehicles and pedestrians and to minimalise any impact on the free flow of traffic.
Road access will be via a new junction on the A429, with a new turning lane.
Footway access will be via a new pedestrian crossing to connect the development to the existing local footways, allowing easy and safe access to the town centre and other facilities.
Site Suitability
The site is spatially very well located, being within walking distance of the town centre, a major supermarket, bus stops and other local facilities.
We have commissioned the following studies as part of the planning application:
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Flood Risk Assessment
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Ecological Impact Assessment
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Transport Assessment
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Built Heritage Assessment
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Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment
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Arboricultural Survey and Impact Assessment
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Local Self Build Demand Assessment
These reports were submitted as part of the planning application and are available to the public on Wiltshire Council's Planning portal.
Section 106
Section 106 Contributions are payments usually made by developers to the local authority to contribute towards local infrastructure needs. Section 106 payments will be made on this scheme to provide additional school places and improvements to other local services.
Why Self Build?
Building your own home is the norm throughout the world. In Europe, Japan and Australia, self and custom build accounts for around half of all new housing.
The UK has the lowest known rate of self-commissioned homes in the developed world. Our housing is traditionally dominated by a handful of volume housebuilders, with self build seen as something reserved for the brave (and usually well-off). Our new homes market is crying out for greater consumer choice and greener and higher quality builds.
For a decade, the government has been pushing the growth of the self build industry, with the ambition of making it genuinely mainstream. The 'Right to Build' legislation that came into force in October 2016 is part of the Self and Custom Build Housebuilding Act 2015 and requires local authorities to ensure there is adequate land provision for those who want to build their own homes.
Local authorities in England are now legally obliged to maintain a register of people and groups interested in building their own homes and to grant planning permission to enough suitable plots to match the demand on their register.
Despite this, self build has remained a stubbornly niche sector of the market and Wiltshire Council have so far underdelivered on this requirement. Our own research suggests that there is significant unmet demand for self build plots within the immediate parishes.
In addition to supporting individuals to build their own homes, construction work on the self build homes is also expected to support the local economy by generating additional work for local tradespeople.
Who Are We?
We are a small husband and wife developer team with years of experience in property development.
Having completed our own self build projects in the past, including one in Malmesbury, we know how difficult it can be to find suitable plots to build your own dream home. Our aim is to bring quality, serviced self build plots to Malmesbury, enabling individuals to fulfil their dreams of designing and building their own home.
Submit Feedback
Please use this feedback form to record any comments and views you may have about the development proposals. Any feedback we receive will be used to help guide and inform the design of the site.
If you would like to register your interest in one of the self build plots or just be kept informed of progress please enter your details and select from the dropdown to be added to our mailing list.
Once you have completed the form, simply click Send to submit.
Self Build - Frequently Asked Questions
What is a serviced self build plot?
Serviced building plots are shovel-ready parcels of land with outline planning permission, laid out and ready for construction with access and utilities/services provided to the plot boundary. The buyer can then design their own home and apply for detailed planning permission.
Utilities including electricity, water and waste water are brought right up to the plot boundary ready for connection to be made by the buyer. This takes a lot of time and risk out of the process for self builders, as buyers know that all the main infrastructure will be supplied as part of the land purchase.
As the developer, we also will provide the site infrastructure including roads, footpaths, drainage and landscaping.
Where can I find more information about how to build my own home?
There are a number of national resources to help people looking to build their own homes, from planning and design to finance and construction.
The NaCSBA's self build portal at www.selfbuildportal.org.uk provides impartial advice and resources on every step of the self build journey.
The National Self Build & Renovation Centre is a permanent visitor centre based in Swindon designed specifically to meet the needs of self builders, renovators and home improvers. They have a wide range of trade stands as well as advisors, full size exhibition houses and interactive educational zones guiding you through every stage of a homebuilding project. For more information and to book free entry tickets check out www.nsbrc.co.uk.
Please note that we are not affiliated with any of the above organisations and always recommend that you should seek independent advice.
Can I build whatever I like on the plot?
Each self build plot will come with its own "plot passport" and design guide. These documents will set out some limitations such as size and scale of the house, as well as a palette of permitted materials. This is to ensure that the houses remain in-keeping with the area and local planning guidance. It also provides buyers with some reassurance about what may be built on the adjacent plots.
Each plot owner is then free to design their own home within these set parameters.
I'm interested in buying one of the self build plots - how do I sign up for more information?
Whilst Outline Planning Permission has been granted for the principle of development on the site we are in the early stages of the detailed Planning process but are collating a mailing list of interested parties that we will contact with more information as it becomes available - please use the feedback form and let us know that you are interested in a self build plot and we will add you to our mailing list.