Planning permission for homes at highest level in six years

Planning permissions for new homes have hit the highest level since 2008, the Home Builders Federation said today.

The organisation’s latest housing pipeline report showed 43,926 homes granted outline planning permission in the first quarter of 2014. The rise left total permissions granted in the year to the first quarter at 177,731, the highest for six years.

But the HBF criticised local authorities for not giving full approval to sites with outline permission quickly enough.

Executive chairman Stewart Baseley said the Government should “ensure local authorities… can cope with the new level of demand”.