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Housing shortage “fuelled by lack of construction workers” and unimplemented planning permissions (18 January 2016)

Date: 18/01/2016
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Housing shortage “fuelled by lack of construction workers” and unimplemented planning permissions

A new study commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA) and carried out by industry experts Glenigan shows there are a record 475,647 homes in England which have been given planning permission, but have yet to be built.

In 2012-2013, the total of unimplemented planning permissions was 381,390 and in 2013-2014 it was 443,265.

The LGA said that the figures underline the need for councils to be able to invest in building more homes – and also for the skills shortage affecting the construction industry to be addressed.

Council leaders also want powers to charge developers full council tax for every unbuilt development, dating from the time the original planning permission expires.

The LGA represents more than 370 councils in England and Wales. The LGA says developers are taking longer to complete work on site and it now takes 32 months on average from sites receiving planning permission to building work being completed – 12 months longer than in 2007-2008.

The number of planning applications being granted planning permission in 2014-21015 was 212,468 – an increase from187,605 planning permissions granted in 2007-2008

Councils approve nine in every ten planning applications.

However, the construction industry's forecasted annual recruitment need has risen by 54% since 2013 – and there are 10,000 fewer construction qualifications being awarded by colleges, apprenticeships and universities.

Figures also show there were 58% fewer completed construction apprenticeships in 2015, compared with 2009.

LGA housing spokesman Councillor Peter Box said:

“These figures conclusively prove that the planning system is not a barrier to house building – in fact, the opposite is true: councils are approving almost half-a-million more houses than are being built and this gap is increasing.

“While private developers have a key role in solving our chronic housing shortage, they cannot build the 230,000 needed each year on their own.

“To tackle the new homes backlog and to get Britain building again, councils must have the power to invest in building new homes – and to force developers to build homes more quickly.

“Skills are the greatest barrier to building, not planning – if we are to see the homes desperately needed across the country built, and jobs and apprenticeships created, councils must be given a leading role to tackle our growing construction skills shortage, which the industry says is one of the greatest barriers to building.

“Devolving careers advice, post-16 and adult skills budgets and powers to local areas would allow councils, schools, colleges and employers to work together to help unemployed residents and young people develop the vital skills to build.

“New homes are badly-needed and councils want to get on with the job of building them – if we are to see a genuine end to our housing crisis we have to be given the powers to get on with it.”
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