Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department plans to take to help ensure that housing developments are completed after they have been granted planning permission.

The government wants to see homes built faster and we recognise the frustrations that stalled or delayed sites can cause to communities.

Once housebuilders have been granted permission for residential development, meeting local housing needs and preferences, we expect to see them built out as quickly as possible.

Local planning authorities already have powers to issue a completion notice to require a developer to complete their development if it is stalled. If they fail to do so, the planning permission for the development will lapse.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December includes policies designed to support increased build out rates, including the promotion of mixed tenure development.

On 25 May, the government published a Planning Reform Working Paper: Speeding Up Build Out (which can be founded on gov.uk here) inviting views on further action the government should take to speed up homes being built.