The results of the 2021 Housing Delivery Test which measures housing delivery in the area of relevant plan-making authorities, show that 51 English councils failed to deliver 75% of their housing target during 2021.
This means that these councils now face the presumption in favour of sustainable development, which was introduced by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) so sustainable development is pursued in a positive way.
The Housing Delivery Test is calculated by dividing the total net homes delivered over a three-year period by the total number of homes required over a three-year period in that area. Due to the disruption caused by COVID-19 and the lockdowns, the period for measuring the homes required in 2019/20 was reduced by one month. In September 2021, the then housing minister Christopher Pincher said the 2021 results would be calculated using a four-month adjustment to the housing requirement figures to account for fluctuations in construction output.
Out of the 51 councils who failed to meet their housing targets, Southend-on-Sea was the worst performer. They delivered just 218 of their required 786 homes in 2021 (31%). In 2020 they only delivered 36% of their housing requirement, so this is the second year they face the presumption in favour of sustainable development.
There were five other councils who delivered under 40% of their housing requirement, these were:
23 councils delivered between 85%-95% of their required housing target and consequently will need to produce an action plan that covers how they will achieve their target in future years.
The majority of councils, a total of 228, did meet their housing targets, with some far exceeding their target, including:
If the results of the latest Housing Delivery Test are considered by region, every single region in England had a council facing the presumption of sustainable development. The South East has the most councils who have failed to deliver 75% of their housing requirements, with 22 councils in the region failing, which is an increase on the previous years result of 17 councils in the region. In contrast the South East also had the most councils who also achieved their housing targets and are facing no action.
