Permissions for sites hit new low – HBF/Glenigan

Planning permissions for new homes have continued their decline, with the number of sites granted permission in the past 12 months in England dropping to the lowest quarterly figure since HBF’s Housing Pipeline Report began in 2006.

The Housing Pipeline Report for Q3 2023, compiled by Glenigan, reveals that 2,447 projects were granted planning permission. This was down 3% on the previous quarter and a 19% decline on the same period last year.

And the number of housing units achieving consent in England during quarter three of this year fell 12% on Q2 to 50,316, which was a 28% fall on Q3 2022. Meanwhile, the number of units gaining planning permission during the year to September 2023 was 245,872, representing a 15% year-on-year drop and the lowest 12-month number since Q3 2015.

With planning permissions being a lead indicator of future supply levels, these latest figures, HBF said, confirmed industry warnings throughout the year that “an increasingly anti-development policy environment and worsening economy” would cause the number of homes built in upcoming years to fall to “record” low levels.

HBF also noted the release of the concerning figures ahead of the long-awaited response to the consultation …