England faces another housing crisis as 55 councils meet SCRAP planning targets in victory for NIMBYs: 77,000 fewer new homes could be built each year, leaving first-time buyers in limbo
- The number of housing projects that get the green light is at the lowest level since 2006
- A market leader has warned that the government has drawn up a ‘nimby’s charter’
The number of housing projects getting the green light in England has fallen sharply, raising fears of a new housing crisis.
Government figures show that the number of housing projects that received planning permission last year fell to the lowest level since 2006.
It comes as 55 councils scrapped targets to ensure a steady supply of safe and affordable housing, spurred in part by a Tory rebellion that forced Secretary of State for Leveling Up Michael Gove to abandon a mandatory target of 300,000 new homes a year .
The move resulted in 25 local authorities abandoning their plans to achieve the stated goals, while 30 municipalities abandoned their plans for the U-turn.
The numbers have fueled fears of a new housing crisis, with senior industry leaders warning government reforms would create a ‘nimby’s charter’.
Figures released by the government show the number of housing projects granted planning permission last year fell to the lowest level since 2006. Pictured: House building in England
It comes as 55 local authorities scrapped targets to ensure a steady supply of safe and affordable housing, spurred in part by a Tory rebellion that forced Secretary of State for Leveling Up Michael Gove (pictured) to abandon a mandatory target of 300,000 new homes per year. year
Executive Chairman of the Home Builders Federation Stewart Baseley said the timesThe collapse of building permits is a direct result of the government’s increasingly anti-development policies and negative rhetoric, which have effectively created a nimby’s charter.
Ministers have capitulated to anti-development backlogs and now 55 local authorities have abandoned their housing plans, with others following suit every week. The social and economic consequences were felt for decades.’
Developers also warned that 77,000 fewer homes could be built each year, with the fewest homes being built in the areas of greatest housing demand.
Gove’s own constituency of Surrey Heath has given up development plans, as have areas such as Buckinghamshire, East Hampshire and North Somerset.
Shadow Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook also told the Times that the government had ‘instigated a collapse’ in housing construction across England, which would exacerbate the housing crisis and thwart economic growth.
A spokesman for the Department for Leveling Up, Housing and Communities told the Times: ‘We remain committed to delivering 300,000 new homes a year.
‘The proposed changes to the planning system are intended to support areas in drawing up more local plans.
“They will prevent communities from being exposed to development through appeal, where developers push new sites through the system before building existing permissions.”
