Weekly planning news

Government says it will be a ‘stretch’ to meet 1.5 million homes target 

The Government has said there is now a “slim chance” of delivering its target of 1.5 million new homes in England by the end of the current Parliament. 

Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner told the BBC that rising construction costs and wider pressures on the sector were making the target harder to achieve. She said the Government would continue working towards the goal, which she described as a “stretch target”. 

The target was set in 2024 and would require an average of 300,000 new homes to be delivered each year by summer 2029, including homes across both the private and social housing sectors. 

Planning Portal’s research into the number of new homes applied for¹ has shown a significant surge in recent years – suggesting government policy tweaks to encourage housebuilding over has encouraged developers to bring more schemes forward. Despite this strong developer intent, the number of starts on completions hasn’t kept pace. 

BBC analysis² of Government data shows that around 203,000 new homes were delivered in the 12 months to June 2026, against with the annual rate of 300,000 needed to meet the target. 

Rayner noted progress in housing delivery, including a 15% increase in home starts last year, as well as Government investment in social and affordable housing. 

The Government has also introduced changes to planning policy intended to support housing delivery, including measures relating to green belt development. Council housebuilding is another part of its plans to increase the supply of new homes. 

The latest figures provide an update on progress towards the 1.5 million target, while the Government continues to work with the housing and construction sectors to increase delivery. 

1. https://www.terraquest.co.uk/news-and-insights/q2-planning-application-index-2026
2. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgqdlw0x092o