The supply of housing increased only marginally in 2020/21, despited repeated government pledges to build more homes.
Figures from the Office of National Statistics show the annual housing supply in England increased over the past year, with 216,490 net additional dwellings. However, this is 11% down on the number of new dwellings created in 2019/20.
Of these new dwellings a total of 194,060 were from new build homes.
A total of 23,790 were gained from a change of use between non-domestic and residential, and 3,870 were from houses being converted into flats. There were a further 530 gains, from caravans and house boats being registered as dwelling, but this was offset by the demolition 5,760 properties registered as residential dwellings.
The ONS figures showed that 10,603 of these net additions from change of use were achieved through ‘permitted development rights’ where full planning permission was not required.
This included almost 9,000 dwellings which were converted from offices, 835 from agricultural building and 167 from storage buildings and 61 from light industrial units.
