Where Are We Going To Live?
Less than half of the planning permissions needed for the development of new homes required in England were granted in the second quarter of this year.
The House Builders Federation says there were only 25,000 consents given – with around 60,000 required to meet the housing shortfall.
The HBF said the figures demonstrate why Government must ignore scaremongering about its proposals for planning, and stand firm on its commitment to growth.
Altogether, the 25,171 consents are the second lowest number of permissions granted in a quarter for five years, and are 24% fewer than those granted in the first quarter of this year.
The figure is also 23% lower than those that were granted in the same quarter of last year.
Planning permissions granted now will, in the main, be built during the next three or four years, says the HBF.
At a time when fewer homes are being built in England than since the 1920s, the HBF says the latest figures reveal the potential for intensifying the country’s housing crisis.
The report, compiled for HBF by market information provider Glenigan, also puts the recent disputes over planning policy into perspective. The National Trust and Campaign for the Protection of Rural England have both slated the Government’s proposals, saying they will result in the concreting over of Green Belt land.
In fact, the proposals allow for the development of small settlements – up to 12 homes – in the Green Belt, but only if 90% of the local community agrees.
The HBF said: “What should have been a sensible debate into the most important planning changes since the last war, has been hijacked by sensationalist and inaccurate claims from a number of anti-growth organisations determined to fight all and any development.
“Emotive and misleading claims about development on Green Belt have blighted the ongoing consultation into the National Planning Policy Framework. The draft NPPF document empowers local people, businesses and charities to shape growth in their communities. It strikes a balance between economic growth, a presumption in favour of sustainable development and existing environmental protection.
“The social effects of continuing the under-supply of homes are obvious: five million people languish on local authority waiting lists, millions more live in over-crowded and substandard accommodation, whilst first-time buyers have all but disappeared – further stagnating the housing market.”
