This represented the first time in a decade that over 20,000 sites had been given the green light in a 12-month period.

In the year to June 2017, permission was secured for 321,982 new homes.

Despite the growth, the latest Housing Pipeline report by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) and Glenigan revealed that permissions for 77,704 homes were granted in Q2 2018 in England, down by 15% on Q2 2017. 

 
The research suggested that the drop may have partly been caused by uncertainty over the future of Help to Buy post-March 2021, as many plots currently being permissioned will be delivered into and beyond 2021.

Other possible factors noted included the uncertainty around new planning policies ahead of the publication of the Revised National Planning Policy Framework or the local elections.

The report also found that approvals were down on the same quarter last year in some areas, such as London.

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By contrast, approvals were up in Wales (25%), Yorkshire and Humber (23%) and South West (11%), compared with Q2 2017.

Stewart Baseley, executive chairman at HBF, stated that it had seen a 74% surge in housing supply in four years.

“The fact that permissions are now running at over 350,000 a year shows that builders are investing in the land, and people needed to deliver more homes. 

“If we are to get to 300,000 homes a year, we need to see consistently high levels of permissions being granted, and then, crucially, processed efficiently.” 

Stewart explained that we also needed to see the new planning system implemented by local authorities as intended and more sites, of all sizes, coming forward. 

“Providing certainty over the future of the Help to Buy scheme – that has been central to the increases in output we have seen – is also key.”

Allan Wilen, economics director at Glenigan, added: “The residential development pipeline remains strong, despite a second quarter dip in residential unit approvals from the historically high levels seen over the last year. 

“Indeed, the number of projects securing approval was up 17% on a year ago as permission was granted for more smaller sites.”