Latest research by consultants Glenigan and the Home Builders Federation (HBF) has revealed that the number of homes receiving planning permission in Great Britain continues to rise.
The report shows 293,127 homes secured permission in 2016, which is the highest yearly total recorded since figures compiled by Glenigan began in 2006. Plot permission numbers now exceed the pre-crash peak by around 15%.
However, the number of sites securing permission fell by 11% compared with 2015, from 19,600 to 17,500. Possibly indicating that permissions are being granted on larger strategic sites. The research suggests that because of the infrastructure requirements with larger sites, these permissions tend to take longer to start being delivered and tend to be built over a longer period.
The HBF also suggested that local authorities need to be realistic about the rate at which sites can deliver and should not expect one large site to address their housing requirements.
The average size of sites gaining permission has increased by 16% in the past 18 months as a result of local authority focus on larger sites. Glenigan said this highlights problems facing small housebuilders in finding suitable sites and progressing them through the planning system.
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