Hansard

Planning

Volume 705: debated on Tuesday 4 November 2008

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Lord Hanningfield

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What target was set for housing growth in 2008; how many homes have so far been built in 2008; and how many are expected to have been built by the end of the year. [HL6014]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government
(Baroness Andrews)

Detailed housing targets are not directly set by government, but are set out in regional and local plans which are developed through regional and local planning processes.

The Government set the overall strategy for housing supply in England. The housing Green Paper, Homes for the Future: More Affordable, More Sustainable (Cm 7191), published in July 2007, set out a target to increase housing supply to 240,000 additional homes per annum by 2016.

In 2006-07 199,200 additional homes were delivered. Finalised figures for net additional homes in 2007-08 will be published in early 2009.

The Government do not publish forecasts for private housebuilding. Housing starts in 2007-08 were 10 per cent lower than in 2006-07 and this is likely to be reflected in lower levels of housing completions during 2008-09.