# Survey suggests planning processes ‘not the cause’ of slow housing delivery

By David Fell — 2026-03-30

David Fell, lead analyst at Hamptons, said: “Ever since the government’s Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme was withdrawn in 2023, developers have built at an increasingly slow pace.

“A rising number of sites with planning permission are no longer profitable to develop.

“Falling house prices across the South of England, combined with material costs that have risen 40–50 per cent over the last five years, have made it significantly harder for housebuilders to maintain margins.

“Furthermore, increased taxes on investors have resulted in fewer ‘off-plan’ sales.

“In an environment of higher interest rates, these early sales are vital to reducing financing costs.

“Instead, developers have been forced to focus on managing costs and limiting construction to only those sites that remain viable.

“The last two years represent the longest period in a generation without a government-backed scheme to support either first-time buyers or housebuilders.

“This slowdown puts the government at risk of delivering fewer homes during this parliament than during the last one, which was heavily disrupted by Covid.”

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