New home planning permissions hit 15-year low

The number of planning permissions granted in England during the third quarter of the year dropped 31% year on year according to new data.

In all 42,000 new homes received planning permission in the period, the lowest quarterly total in more than 15 years.

The figures from the Home Builders Federation’s (HBF) latest Housing Pipeline report, based on data from Glenigan, show that 1,311 projects were approved between June and September, the 11th successive quarter of decline in the number of sites permissioned for new homes. For the year to September 2025, planning permission was given for 209,781 new homes, the lowest 12-month period since 2013 and 38% lower than the peak seen in early 2022.

The number of housing projects granted approval in the last year was 7,500, a 12% drop on the year to Q2 2025 and 1,000 fewer than the previous record low, which was set in June 2025. The figure is just 36% of the number of sites permissioned in 2018.

HBF said: “The further decline in investment in new housing delivery is due to weaknesses in the housing market and a lack of confidence that buyers can be found for new …