England and Wales face a shortfall of over 250,000 homes over next four years
England and Wales is facing a major shortfall in the delivery of new homes over the next four years due to a lack of readily available sites, according to a new report published by planning consultancy Turley.
The Turley Housing Updates report examines the published five year housing requirement and land supply position of the 318 Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) in England and Wales, excluding London, between April 2013 and April 2018.
It shows that according to approved plans, England and Wales will require at a minimum 1,197,000 new homes over the next four years. The report also reveals that LPAs claim to have land available for around 939,000 of these homes, leaving a substantial shortfall of at least 258,000 homes.
‘Local authorities are required under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to identify and update annually a supply of specific deliverable sites sufficient to provide five years’ worth of housing against their objectively assessed housing requirements. Our research and report shows that at least 211 of England And Wales’ 318 planning authorities fall short of their five year land supply targets,’ said John Acres, director, Turley.
The shortfall in the South West is 18,636, in the South /east 34,502, in the East 23,106, in the East Midlands 56,250, in the West Midlands 27,037, in the North West 45,340, in the North East 13,437, in Yorkshire and Humberside 27,900 and in Wales 11,765.
‘The majority of LPAs are falling short of their minimum five year housing land supply requirements, and this has significant implications for the pace of economic recovery. It is also likely to impact affordability for first time buyers wishing to enter the market,’ explained Acres.
‘The need for housing remains high and is growing yet many LPAs still do not have adopted up to date NPPF compliant Local Plans. This leaves planning policy in a state of flux and uncertainty that will further delay the delivery of much needed homes across England and Wales,’ he pointed out.
‘Those LPAs that do not have up to date adopted Local Plans will continue to receive planning applications but will need to judge them within the context of the NPPF and its presumption in favour of sustainable development,’ he added.
The Turley Housing Updates provides a snapshot of housing need and supply between April 2013 and April 2018 and is based on housing land supply data provided by the LPAs themselves.
Acres explained that the research represents a ‘best case’ scenario so in the absence of adopted Local Plans and as developers bring forward new sites and permissions for new sites are granted, there will be minor changes to these figures.
‘The substantial shortfall is, however, only likely to deteriorate as annual dwelling delivery rates remain below those needed to meet the overall requirements across England and Wales,’ he concluded.