Thu, 18 Sep 2025

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 Planning approvals for new homes at record low, figures show

Planning approvals for new homes were at their lowest on record during Labour’s first year in office, figures show

* The number of planning approvals for new homes in England has fallen to a record low, with fewer than 29,000 projects granted permission by councils in the year ending June 2025.
* This is despite Labour's promise to deliver 1.5 million homes by the next election, which would require an average of around 300,000 new homes per year.
* The number of approvals has fallen by 8% compared to the same period last year, and the overall number of decisions taken by councils has also decreased.
* However, councils are approving a larger proportion of applications, with around three-quarters of decisions being in favor of development.
* Separate data from Glenigan suggests that 221,000 individual homes were granted permission in the year ending June, down from 237,000 last year.
* The new Housing Secretary, Steve Reed, has vowed to fix the planning system and deliver on Labour's housing promises, including an overhaul of the Building Safety Regulator and working with London Mayor Sadiq Khan to boost house building in the capital.
* Critics have accused Labour of failing to address the root causes of the problem, including high house prices and mortgage rates that make it difficult for developers to sell homes.
  >>