Politics and posh areas blamed for house-building failures
Across England 15 Local Planning Authorities refused at 50% of planning submissions for residential developments last year – eight out of 10 of which were based in either in London, the South East or East of England.
As 10% of England’s councils warn of impending bankruptcy the latest planning permission data analysed by Search Acumen reveals vast differences in house-building ‘green light’ performance.
Across England 15 Local Planning Authorities refused at least one in two planning submissions for residential developments last year – eight out of 10 of which were based in either in London, the South East or East of England.
MOLE VALLEY
Mole Valley in Surrey (main picture) had the highest level of house building refusals for major new housing developments out of any Local Planning Authority in the UK, with 77% of decisions refused.
The Surrey district, at the time run by the Liberal Democrats, is adjoined to the Surrey Hills – a designated Area of Outstanding Beauty – with an average house price of £565,000.
With the results of last week’s local elections all but finalised and a swathe of recent headlines showing first-time buyers are facing the toughest conditions in 70 years to buy a home housing is likely to top the agenda during the next general election. And house builders have already voted – 70% recently said they wanted a Labour government.
OPPOSITION
Andrew Lloyd, Director of Search Acumen, says: “Where the housing pressure is the greatest is where opposition to new housing is the highest.
“This research shows that overwhelmingly the wealthier parts of the country, in particular the commuter belts in the South East, is where the greatest amount of opposition comes from to new housing. With more land being used for development, voters and politicians alike are becoming more protective of land due to its scarcity.”
He adds: “Councils where no one party is in control can mean planning applications can take a more political lens when considered for approval, ultimately finding consent harder to achieve.”
The places where developers are most likely to be greeted with YIMBYs (Yes In My Back Yard) and get planning permission granted reside broadly in the Midlands and the North. Some 12 out of 15 – 80% – of Local Planning Authorities who had a 100% approval rate in 2023 of more than 10 major developments were outside of London and the South East.
Out of the 15 councils with a 100% record for large development planning approvals, the majority (60%) were Labour run.
