The government’s annual housing supply statistics were unveiled yesterday, painting a stark picture for the North West.
The Housing supply: net additional dwellings statistics report – a set of live tables that track UK performance – has been published annually since 2012.
Burnley is on track to top the housing delivery test performers in the region, delivering 566% of its rolling three-year requirement. This is however, reflective of its very low housing need.
Cheshire East delivered the highest number of homes last year, at 2,336, just pipping the previous year’s top performer, Manchester City Council.
Chronic issue
Phil Robinson, senior planning director at Pegasus Group, has taken a look at the latest results and said: “Housing delivery remains a chronic issue for many local authorities.
“The two Combined Authority areas, namely Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region, have seen a notable reduction in net completions with both Liverpool City Council and Manchester City Council recording significant reductions in the number of completions. Both have delivered less than half the levels achieved in the previous recording year.
“On the flip side Warrington has significantly increased its housing delivery in the last three years to move away from the need to apply a buffer to its housing delivery.”
Target delivery
Statistics show that Bury has delivered just 49% of the houses required by Standard Method over the last three years, closely followed by Stockport, which has delivered just 54% of its target.
Trafford, Tameside and Oldham are likely to move from a position of having to only provide a buffer, to a presumption in favour of sustainable development.
The most notable change is for Chorley, moving from a relatively comfortable 109% of homes over the previous three years (2019-22), to a position where it is predicted to slip into a housing delivery test presumption in favour of sustainable development, with a rolling delivery of only 71%.
Phil added: The mixed picture reiterates the continued importance of up to date Local Plans in the North West – with housing delivery set to only get worse for authorities with aged plans or facing delayed adoption, and improving for authorities who have progressed Local Plans, such as Warrington and Blackburn with Darwen.”
