Thousands of homes granted planning permission are waiting to be built in Norfolk amid accusations developers are ‘land banking’ to inflate prices.
Latest figures show a total of 43,583 homes have been allocated but are waiting to be constructed since 2018.
The issue of land banking has come into focus in recent years due to the housing crisis, where major housebuilders are believed to be buying up land but waiting to build homes in order to control the market.
The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has called for a rethink on national planning policy, arguing developers’ actions are exacerbating the housing crisis and have called for councils not to allocate any more homes until the current backlog is completed.
But the Home Builders Federation has said that there is “no logic” for developers to hold onto sites and has said that the nutrient neutrality laws – which aim to limit the damage new sites have upon the environment, have also stalled building.
Although a number of outline planning permissions in the county would have been granted prior to these laws coming into force.
Michael Rayner, planning campaigns consultant for CPRE Norfolk, said: “Sadly, housing policy is not delivering the much-needed affordable homes for our rural population.
“Developers are drip-feeding the number of houses built to ensure profits remain high.
“Rather than blaming the planning system or objectors, politicians of all persuasions should be focused on how best to solve this problem rather than letting the big developers choose where and when new housing is built.”
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The CPRE believes current planning policies are unsustainable, and focused on unrealistic targets for 300,000 homes to be built each year.
It has said within these targets there is no clear detail on the types of houses that need to be built, which has left rural communities with little affordable housing, forcing young people to live with their parents for longer or be forced to move away from the area.
The CPRE has backed construction on brownfield sites near urban areas - sites that have already been developed - arguing this is more sustainable than building on undeveloped countryside.
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UK watchdog The Competition and Markets Authority has started a probe into the housebuilding sector and private rental market, investigating land banks amid concerns over whether some large portfolios held by bigger firms are slowing competition or housing availability in some areas.
The Home Builders Federation has dismissed these claims, arguing developers are always keen to complete and sell homes in order to make a return on their investments.
A spokeswoman said: “Numerous independent reports have concluded that home builders do not hold on to sites that could be developed and there is no business logic to doing so.
“Developers will often have invested hundreds of thousands of pounds by the time planning permission is granted, so are always keen to complete as this is the only way to get a return on their investment."
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The HBF believe 145,000 homes are blocked across the country due to nutrient neutrality laws which aim to limit house building in order to protect rivers.
However, this may soon be about to change with housing secretary Michael Gove set to rip up water pollution rules to make it easier for developers to gain permission to build homes.
There is growing anger within communities in Norfolk at the rate at major housing developments are being approved before the infrastructure is in place to cope with the growing population.
Concerns surrounding increasing pressures on Norfolk's roads, health services and sewage systems have prompted some locals to protest against housing proposals.
More than a third of parish councils in Norfolk have also come out in support of the CPRE's calls for change to planning laws.
But with lots of major developments awaiting approval across the county, it is likely the issue will rumble on.
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