The housing secretary will introduce a “building acceleration package” to speed up the delivery of housing across the country, as new data shows planning applications fell.
From April to June 2025, 80,400 applications were received, falling 5% on the previous year, while planning authorities decided 80,800 applications, 1% down year-on-year.
However, the MHCLG pointed out that the number of applications granted rose, up 1% on the previous year to 70,800.
Steve Reed called the statistics “unacceptable” and said that a range of measures would be introduced to speed up the rate of approvals to boost housebuilding in a bid to achieve Labour’s target of building 1.5 million homes during this Parliament.
Reed said: “I will leave no stone unturned to build 1.5 million homes, so families have the key to home ownership in their hands.”
“Fixing the archaic planning system won’t happen overnight. But because of the reforms we have introduced, we will see the biggest era of house building in our country’s history.”
“With my leadership, the government will go further and faster to get Britain building. It’s time to build, baby, build.”
The figures showed that London had the lowest rate of applications approved in England with 83%, and Reed is expected to work with London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, to boost housebuilding in London.
The housing secretary’s plans will also address the Building Safety Regulator’s performance, which has led to long delays in the delivery of high-rise buildings.
Shadow housing secretary, James Cleverly, said that: “Labour are failing people who need homes. They’re killing the market with taxes, over-regulation and economic incompetence.”
“They’ve promised to ‘build, build, build’, but their flagship planning reforms clearly aren’t working.”
“Labour-run authorities are making things worse – Sadiq Khan’s London has the lowest average of planning decisions granted in the whole of England.”
“Only the Conservatives are serious about delivering the homes our young families need and giving business the space to grow.”
