Planning approvals for new homes in England have reached their lowest quarterly level since 2012, according to the latest Housing Pipeline report from the Home Builders Federation (HBF), based on Glenigan data. In the second quarter of 2026, only 45,315 homes were granted planning permission, a 21% decrease from the previous quarter.
Over the 12 months leading up to June, authorities approved 214,515 homes, which the HBF stated is the lowest annual total since 2013. This figure is down 8% year-on-year and 36% below the peak recorded in 2017.
The decline was particularly noticeable in larger developments. Approvals for homes on sites with more than 10 properties dropped by 21% quarter-on-quarter to 39,689. Private housing approvals also fell by 19% compared with the previous quarter.
The HBF has renewed calls for the government to avoid adding further taxes, levies, and policy costs to housebuilding. The organisation estimates that the average cost of delivering a new house has increased by £76,000 since 2020.
These figures come days after the government announced plans for a new equity loan scheme for first-time buyers, called Your First Home. This scheme, which will apply to new-build homes in England, is expected to support deposits as low as 2.5% with a 20% government-backed equity loan. The government has not yet announced property price caps, household income limits, or implementation dates.