The figures covering more than 95% of planning applications made in England will be seen as a boost to the prospects of achieving the government’s target of building 1.5 million new homes by the end of the current parliamentary term in 2029.
Over the three months from January to March of this year, applications were submitted for 71,813 new homes, 22,037 more than in the same three-month period in 2024 according to TerraQuest’s Planning Application Index for Q1 of 2025.
Positive trends were seen across the country with nearly all regions growing against Q1 2024 in the number of housing units applied for.
Applications for new homes tend to follow clear seasonal trends, with Q4 numbers generally between 20% and 25% higher than those seen in the subsequent Q1. Yet, in a further boost for those backing the government’s housebuilding blitz, numbers from January to March 2025 sit just 2% below the total for October to December 2024.
In a boost to the country’s economic prospects, March 2025 saw a record number of planning applications submitted through Planning Portal across all development types. While recent fee increases may have encouraged early submissions in some categories - with certain application types seeing fees double from April - this is unlikely to have driven the trend for new home applications, where the average fee increase was just 1.7%.
Geoff Keal, CEO at TerraQuest, operator of Planning Portal said: “These figures are the strongest sign yet that England stands on the doorstep of a housebuilding boom. The intent is clear from both government and developers. But unlocking the door to a housing revolution remains a major challenge for everyone involved. Intent now needs to translate into action.
“Major housing developments have long lead times, which means we are likely only seeing the impact of the government’s intent at this stage, rather than the full effects of actual policy changes. The second and third quarters of 2025 may well hold the answers as to whether the government’s reforms are having their desired effect.”
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