Huge rise in planning permission approvals

Figures from the Home Builders Association show that approvals for 33,881 homes across England were granted between July and September, a rise of 36% on the previous three months and 17% on the same period last year (29,059). It is still well short of the 64,500 that were being granted on average during 2006/07.

Planning permissions granted now will mostly be built over the next three to four years. Around 110,000 homes a year in England are currently being built.

Stewart Baseley, Executive Chairman of the HBF, said: “The increase is good news and hopefully a reflection of the positive planning principles of the new system. It is just one quarterly increase and we are still well short of the number needed but we hope it starts a trend that will continue in 2013.

“The new system gives much more power to Local Authorities to take control over what is being built in their areas. This is necessarily underpinned by a robust appeals process where local authorities are not meeting the responsibilities they have to their communities. While we are hopefully seeing a turning point in planning permissions much more can be done – the policy announcements within The Growth and Infrastructure Bill coupled with measures to kickstart stalled sites and a real and concerted effort to reduce red tape are vital to continuing this important progress.

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• deanoblog

  The UK now imports 40% of its food from abroad . Biggest reason being a lack of farmland as we continue to concrete it over. Also the main reason for the flooding recently . The problem is overpopulation . A country the size of the state of Louisiana in the US but 10 X more populated…

  I would advise a rejection of all building on farmland .

• deanoblog

  (PS: Before we starve as droughts and floods cause havoc abroad)

• julianzzz

  I would advise a mass move away from meat eating, it is energy intensive, and does our health no good. Also using brownfield sites and rebuilding rundown town centres rather than bijou mansionettes in the gorgeous home counties. It all comes of wanting to emulate the Wayne Rooneys and Nigella Lawson’s of the world.