‘Another victory for NIMBYs’: Campaigners slam planning permission collapse

The number of planning permission approvals for new home sites has fallen to another record low, figures out today show, continuing the downward trend seen in the past two years.

The number of sites in England granted planning permission in the third quarter totalled 61,221 units, eight per cent lower than the previous three months and 21 per cent lower than a year ago, according to a report from the Home Builders Federation (HBF).

As one of the earliest phases that a potential development has to navigate, permission grants are a good indicator of future housing supply levels.

The figures come ahead of changes to the National Planning Policy Framework expected to be announced on Tuesday. The delayed report, dubbed by the HBF as a “NIMBY charter”, is rumoured to water down greenbelt housing targets and exempt councils from building homes on prime agricultural land.

Stewart Baseley, HBF’s executive chairman, said: “This is the inevitable outcome of several years of anti-growth policy and rhetoric.

“If ministers continue with the proposals to rid the planning system of targets and consequences… it will result in fewer new homes and represent another victory for NIMBY backbenchers.”

Approvals for housing units specifically were also down, slipping 12 per cent on the previous quarter to 50,316, which represents an 18 per cent fall year-on-year.

Regionally, London and the East Midlands have seen especially sharp drops in permissions this year, with declines on 2022 of between 30 and 40 per cent each.

John Myers, director at the YIMBY Alliance, told City PM the numbers were “terrible news for every struggling renter and young person dreaming of buying their own home”.