Planning authorities in England experienced a notable downturn in planning applications and decisions in the first quarter of 2024 in comparison with the same period in 2023.

The authorities received a total of 85,800 applications for planning permission, marking an 11% decrease. During this period, they processed 79,100 applications, a 9% decline, and granted 67,400 of these, a 10% reduction. This equates to 85% of decisions being approved, which is a slight dip of one percentage point from the previous year's statistics.

Interestingly, major applications showed a marginal uptick in efficiency, with 90% being decided within 13 weeks or the agreed timeframe, an increase of one percentage point. Additionally, 19% of major applications were resolved within the statutory period of 13 weeks, showing a modest rise of two percentage points.

In terms of residential applications, 7,800 were granted, reflecting a 7% drop. Meanwhile, 1,600 applications for commercial developments received approval, a 4% decrease. Householder development applications decided totalled 39,800, down by 15%, and these accounted for 50% of all decisions, a decrease from 53% the previous year.

For the year ending March 2024, district-level planning authorities granted 285,300 decisions overall, a 13% decrease, with 32,000 residential applications approved, an 8% decline from the previous year.

Phil Lawford, national account manager at Saffron Building Society, commented on the data: “Today’s data paints a clear picture: it has become too difficult to meet building targets in Britain. With the election just a month away, it would be great to see the next government address this issue, and put a long-term plan in place not only to meet the housebuilding targets which have been consistently missed in recent years, but also to meet the growing demand for green housing.

“Supporting self- and custom-build projects offers another way to boost applications. Around 13,000 individuals in the UK embark on building their own homes annually, a figure that rivals some of the largest national housebuilders but is still far behind the levels of our European counterparts. By increasing support for these projects, we can help more people realise their dream of owning a home and help meet government housebuilding targets.”