House planning approvals fall

Planning permission approvals for new homes have dramatically slipped by almost a third, suggesting government measures to increase housebuilding and boost the construction industry may have failed to take hold.

Consent for residential properties dropped by 32 per cent in the second quarter of the year compared to the first three months, according to the Home Builders Federation and construction consultants Glenigan published in the Financial Times. The year-on-year figures showed a smaller fall.  The full Home Builders Federation report can be seen at www.hbf.co.uk.

Social housing fared particularly badly, with approvals falling by 42 per cent. The figures are the first to show the state of the industry following the introduction of the National Planning Policy Framework, which overhauled the reviews process to try to address Britain's housing shortage.