Planning approvals for new houses in England plunge to 10-year low

Planning approvals for new houses in England have dropped to a 10-year low, according to figures that underline how difficult it will be for Labour to hit its target of building 300,000 homes a year.

- Kiran Stacey

The data, from the Home Builders Federation (HBF), shows the number of new houses being approved is just over half what it was three years ago, having fallen to a level not seen since 2014.

Builders blame the drop on the decision by the former government to reduce binding housing targets for local authorities. Labour has reversed that move, but experts warn that much more will be needed to hit the government's target of 1.5m new homes over the next five years - a pledge that the prime minister, Keir Starmer, has put at the centre of his plan to boost growth.

Neil Jefferson, the chief executive of the HBF, said: "The steep fallinplanning permissions starkly illustrates the challenge the new government faces to boost housing supply." The figures, collated by the analysis company Glenigan, show 53,379 new houses were approved in three months to the end of June-3% fewer than in the previous month and 13% fewer than in the same period in 2023.