Taylor Scott International News
A record 475,647 homes in England which have been given permission to be built have yet to be built, a new study has found, but says that the planning system is not to blame. Figures released by the Local Government Association from research carried out by industry experts Glenigan, shows this bumper backlog has grown at a rapid pace over the past few years. 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 from the point that the original planning permission expires. The LGA, which represents more than 370 councils in England and Wales, also revealed that developers are taking longer to complete work on site. It now takes 32 months, on average, from sites receiving planning permission to building work being completed, some12 months longer than in 2007/2008. The number of planning applications being granted planning permission in 2014/2015 was 212,468, up from 187,605 in 2007/2008 and is higher than all previous years and the data shows that councils still approve nine in every 10 applications. The research also points out that while the construction industry's forecasted annual recruitment need is up 54% from 2013, there are 10,000 fewer construction qualifications being awarded by colleges, apprenticeships and universities. Indeed, there were 58% fewer completed construction apprenticeships last year than in 2009. ‘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,’ said Peter Box, LGA housing spokesman. ‘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,’ he explained. ‘Skills is 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,’ he pointed out. ‘Devolving careers advice, post age 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… Taylor Scott International
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