Newly published research commissioned by the Local Government Association shows an ever-increasing backlog in the implementation of planning permission in England and Wales.
During 2015/16 the total number of properties waiting to be built was 365,146, and in 2016/17 that number rose to 423,544, showing an overall increase of almost 16 per cent, indicating developers are taking a lot longer to complete developments.
Upon the results of the study, the Local Government Association stressed the need for greater powers to take action on unbuilt land which has planning permission. This could include making it easier to compulsorily purchase the land where development remains unfinished or charging the developers a full council tax for every home that remains unfinished.
To unclog the housing market, the Association and Treasury Select committee propose to scrap the Government's cap on council borrowing, which would enable councils to speed up the process of developing affordable homes.
Local Government Association's spokesman, Martin Tett said:
"These figures prove that the planning system is not a barrier to house building. In fact, the opposite is true, In the last year, councils and their communities granted twice as many planning permissions as the number of new homes that were completed. No-one can live in a planning permission. Councils need greater powers to act where housebuilding has stalled. To tackle the new homes backlog and to get the country building again, councils also need the freedom to borrow and invest in desperately-needed new homes."
