Labour blames Shapps for second lowest number of housing planning permissions for five years

Labour has attacked the housing minister Grant Shapps after new figures revealed a sharp drop in planning permissions for new homes.

Planning was granted for only 25,171 homes from April to June, a 24% fall on the first quarter and 23% lower than Q2 2010.

Labour鈥檚 Shadow Housing Minister, Alison Seabeck MP said: 鈥淭hese are embarrassing figures for a housing minister who promised to 鈥檅eat the last government hands down鈥� when it came to delivering more homes but has instead presided over a decline in new homes being built, a decline in new planning permissions being granted and a rise in both homelessness and rough sleeping.

鈥淭he Tory-led government鈥檚 decision to cut the budget for new affordable homes by 60% and to waste money on an ineffective 鈥橬ew Homes Bonus鈥� is holding back families鈥� aspirations across the country from a home that they can call their own.鈥�

The HBF which released the figures said that around 60,000 homes per quarter were required to meet the housing shortfall.

Stewart Baseley, executive chairman at the HBF, said: 鈥淭hese new figures paint a bleak picture. We already have an acute housing crisis that is affecting the quality of life of families, young and old, across the country and the economy.

鈥淕overnment must stand firm and deliver a planning system that supports home building and economic growth. If it doesn鈥檛, the social and economic implications will be felt for generations.鈥�

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