
The UK needs 370,000 new homes per year to meet government targets, but with planning approvals at their lowest in a decade, the industry is struggling to keep up.
The latest Housing Pipeline Report from the Home Builders Federation (HBF) highlights the scale of the challenge, showing a worrying decline in planning permissions that threatens future housing supply. Read on to find out more about what’s causing this slowdown and what needs to change.

Housebuilders are applauding a report by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that pins the blame for the UK’s housing shortage on the country’s planning system, not on construction companies.
A few weeks ago, the CMA released the final results of its year-long investigation into the housebuilding market. While the initial media focus was on potential collusion among eight major builders, the industry’s deeper interest lies in the report’s findings on planning. Read on to find out more.