Planning approvals fall - HTB comments

19 June 2025

Neil Leitch, Managing Director of Development Finance at Hampshire Trust Bank

“A drop in planning approvals confirms what many developers have been seeing in practice. It supports recent Home Builders Federation data pointing to a 13-year low in approval levels and highlights the ongoing pressures within the UK’s planning system.

"Planning remains the biggest obstacle. Developers face delays, inconsistent feedback and limited engagement from under-resourced planning teams. The system is not failing through lack of intent. It is failing through lack of capacity.

"We talk a lot about reform, but what developers need is delivery. That means local authorities equipped with the people, skills and systems to make timely, consistent decisions. Until then, even the best policy will struggle to translate into real-world impact.

"We know what the issues are. This is not about political direction. It is about giving the system the resources to function. Without that, housing output will continue to fall short of what is needed.”