Economy: House Prices

Debate between Baroness Whitaker and Lord Newby

Thursday 3rd July 2014 Lords Chamber

[Lord Newby]

My Lords, there is clearly a challenge in terms of planning. Wherever one seeks to gain significant planning permissions there tends to be very vigorous local opposition. One of the ways we are hoping and planning to tackle this is by supporting a new generation of new towns. The first one in Ebbsfleet is now under way. That is one way of getting a number of bulk areas of new housebuilding. However, all parties are going to need to be much more robust in making the case for a higher level of new housebuilding than we have seen for several decades.

[Baroness Whitaker (Lab)]

My Lords, can the Minister tell the House how many planning applications for housing have been approved but the houses have not been built?

[Lord Newby]

My Lords, there is always a lag between planning permissions and housing starts. If we take the last two quarters for which I have figures, there were planning permissions for 52,534 houses in Q4 2013 and 32,000 starts. In Q1 2014 there were 43,000 permissions and 36,000 starts.