Housing boom on the horizon?

Over 124,000 new homes were proposed in 2023, marking a potential turning point in the UK’s housing crisis. 

The private sector provided the bulk of these units with proposals for 112,870 new homes submitted in detailed planning applications last year.

Top 10 Housebuilders by 2023 planning pipeline

Source: Glenigan

Barratt put in plans for the largest number of new homes last year. The group’s 2023 planning pipeline of 12,461 new homes includes 464 homes at Florida Farm in St Helens on Merseyside (Project ID: 22356291) and the Springside Paper Mills development in Blackburn to provide 116 homes (Project ID: 14208058).

Persimmon slips from top in 2022 to second last year but still sent in plans for 10,791 new homes. This ranged from plans for 60 homes at Amble in Morpeth, Northumberland (Project ID: 22156147) to the Murton Steads Farm development in North Tyneside, which will eventually deliver 2,700 new homes (Project ID: 17311005).

Taylor Wimpey, the other traditional member of the big three housebuilders, dropped to fourth behind Bellway, which submitted plans for 7,716 homes, including 342 flats and 186 houses at Redbridge (pictured) in East London (Project ID: 23398576).

Private pipeline

While the number of units proposed fell, housebuilders’ focus on building new houses strengthened at the expense of plans for flats.

In 2023, 89% of new homes entering the planning system were some type of house – up from 87% in the previous year. In contrast, the proportion of flats in the planning pipeline fell back to 9% from 11% in 2022. The balance of new homes proposed were bungalows or retirement housing.

Social housing pipeline

Housing associations and registered social landlords submitted detailed planning applications to build 15,612 homes in 2023.

Clarion Housing proposed the largest number of new homes with detailed plans for 2,909 units. This ranged from 126 homes in the Regents House development in Dorking, Surrey (Project ID: 23379235) to 250 flats in Penge, where Clarion is working on the Hadley Property Group’s project to deliver a mixed-use development providing up to 250 flats (Project ID: 22329842).

Top 10 Housing Associations by 2023 planning pipeline

Source: Glenigan

Metropolitan Housing ran in second place with plans for more than 1,200 homes ahead of Places for People, whose planning pipeline of nearly 900 homes includes the Mouth of the Ouseburn development in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne (Project ID: 21073103).

Peabody is ranked fourth after submitting plans for 700 homes including 173 flats at Bridgewater Road in Wembley, North London (Project ID: 20064479).

Flat rise

In contrast to the private sector, the proportion of flats being planned by housing associations and registered social landlords has grown. In 2023, 45% of new homes in planning submissions were flats – up from 41% in the previous year.

Houses were the largest home type at 48%, but this was down from 52% in 2022. The balance of new homes proposed were bungalows or retirement units. The average planning application contained 72 units compared to 70 units in the previous year.

2024 boost

With a steady flow of private and public sector projects moving through the planning system, the residential sector will continue to provide opportunities for the construction industry in 2024.