The number of sites with planning approvals in the UK have dropped to their lowest level, according to research from the Home Builders Federation, since the organisation began collecting this data in 2006.

The Federation’s latest Housing Pipeline Report found that 10,400 sites were approved in the 12 months to June 2024. This was the lowest figure in any 12 month period since the report began in 2006.

More recently, this 10,400 figure is a 10% drop from the same period a year earlier and 53% lower than the peak in 2008. For context, in the last 2010s an average of 240,000 homes were being delivered every year.

The number of units gaining approval has also reached a record low.

In the second quarter of 2024, 53,379 units were approved and this was the lowest quarterly figure since 2014. This was a 3% drop from the previous quarter and 13% lower than the same period in 2023.

The Federation has welcomed the government’s plans to reform and improve planning in the UK but has warned that permissions will need to increase by 55% if the target of 1.5m homes is to be reached.