Much needed new homes in England are not in the pipeline, the latest official figures show. The data, published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, revealed that planning applications are falling, even although the Government has pledged to boost new home building.

Between April and June 2018, district level planning authorities in England received 118,100 applications for planning permission, down 4% compared with the same quarter of 2017. The figures also show that authorities granted 94,300 decisions, down 4% from the same quarter in 2017, equivalent to 88% of decisions, unchanged from the same quarter of 2017.

In the second quarter of 2018 councils decided 87% of major applications within 13 weeks or the agreed time, down 1% from a year earlier. A breakdown of the figures shows that they granted 11,900 residential applications, down 3% compared to a year earlier of which 1,500 were for major developments and 10,300 for minor development. Some 2,200 applications for commercial developments were granted, down 10% on a year earlier.

Councils received 10,100 applications for prior approval for permitted development rights, down 9% from the same quarter of 2017. Of these, 1,200 applications were for changes to residential use, of which 800 were given the go-ahead without having to go through the full planning process.