Trend of fewer homes granted permission continued through Q3 2025
The number of residential units granted planning permission in Britain during the third quarter of 2025 dropped to the lowest quarterly total since 2012 Q2, according to the Home Builders Federation’s (HBF) latest “Housing Pipeline” report.
At 45,075, the number of homes approved in Q3 2025 was higher than 39,844 in the second quarter of 2012 but was 34% down on the equivalent period last year and 7% lower than the previous quarter.
Meanwhile, the overall number of units approved during the first nine months of 2025 was 25% lower than the previous year at 146,798.
However, 4,832 social homes were approved in Q3 2025, representing a 24% rise from the preceding quarter but a 36% decrease from a year ago.
The total figure of private sector homes approved in the latest quarter reached 39,916, 33% lower than a year earlier. The HBF noted that this decline would have been sharper if not for the approvals of two projects with more than 1,000 units.
The membership body also reported a “sharp divergence” in regional approvals during the third quarter, where the North East, West Midlands and east of England saw a rise in the number of approved units, increasing by 52%, 131% and 90% respectively against the previous quarter. In contrast, the number of homes granted permission in the Nort West, Yorkshire and the Humber fell by 57%, 56% and 49%.
The report is based on analysis of housing projects being tracked by construction data insights company Glenigan.
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