Between January to March 2024, district level planning authorities in England received 85,800 applications for planning permission, down 11% from the same quarter a year earlier.

This is according to latest figures from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities.

The government data also reveals that 67,400 decisions were granted, down 10% from the same quarter a year earlier; this is equivalent to 85% of decisions, down 1 percentage point from the same quarter a year earlier;

English councils granted 7,800 residential applications, down 7% from the same quarter a year earlier; and granted 1,600 applications for commercial developments, down 4% from the same quarter a year earlier.

Councils across the country decided 39,800 householder development applications, down 15% from the same quarter a year earlier. This accounted for 50% of all decisions, down from 53% a year earlier.

Saffron Building Society national account manager Phil Lawford  said the government data showed it had 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.”

He added: By increasing support for these projects, we can help more people realise their dream of owning a home and help meet government housebuilding targets.”