<p><span>Permissions for 361,971 new homes were granted in the year to October, according to the latest HBF/Glenigan Housing Pipeline report released today (December 21). </span><br/></p> <p><span>HBF said the figure underlined the “industry’s intent to build even more homes in the years ahead”. This is added to the government’s figures published in November which showed that net housing supply in England increased to 222,190 in the year to April, “up an unprecedented 78% in the past five years,” HBF said.</span></p> <p><span>The Housing Pipeline report also revealed that the number of sites on which permissions had been granted was continuing to rise, HBF noted. At 361,971 permissions on 21,848 different sites, this is the highest moving annual total since the series began in 2006, according to HBF and Glenigan’s data.</span></p> <p><span>“This is very welcome and suggests local authorities are spreading their housing need across more sites instead of relying on fewer larger ones,” HBF said. It pointed out that increasing the number of sites alongside permissions was something it “pushed hard to be enforced through the planning system as it enables more SME builders to play their part in addressing our housing shortage.”</span></p> <p><span>HBF also highlighted another recent positive for permissions – …