Social Housing Approvals Drought Worsens

The number of social housing units receiving planning permission across Britain almost halved last year when compared to 2010. Figures released today in the Home Builders Federation’s latest Housing Pipeline report show there were 18,976 social housing approvals last year compared with 34,938 in 2010, and 41,725 in 2009. The statistics for the last quarter of 2011 also show overall only 132,178 units received planning permission, down 14 per cent on the previous year. With the homes granted planning now mainly scheduled to be built over the next three of four years, the HBF warned there is ‘potential for intensifying the country’s housing crisis’. Download a copy of the report from the HBF website.