Labour missing housebuilding target by 170,000 homes a year, bleak report finds
Labour is on track to miss its housebuilding target after planning permission for new homes tumbled to a record low. A bleak report by the Home Builders Federation yesterday dealt a blow to the Government's vow to build 1.5million properties by 2029. Stark figures show Labour is falling short of its target by 170,000 homes a year. Industry leaders said the data was 'disastrous' and without urgent support from ministers there is 'little chance' of reaching the goal. Just 39,170 homes were given planning permission in England in the first three months of the year – the lowest quarterly figure since records began. That was a 55 per cent drop on the previous quarter and almost 32 per cent lower than a year earlier. The 225,067 units given approval in the 12 months to the end of March was the worst performance in 12 years. The federation said its data 'starkly illustrates the urgent need for Government to address the barriers to housing supply' i...