Now it’s ‘Can’t move, improve’ as home improvements boom in planning ban blackspots
7th April 2015

Applications for home improvements rose by 12% across Britain last year – the highest increase in at least three years – but the report, by Barbour ABI, also indicates that applications are much higher in boroughs that are known to refuse the most new home applications.

The figures reveal that London has more than double the average figure, at 27%, while applications in the West Midlands and Scotland were the slowest, growing by just 1%.

Alongside these results, the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) family spending survey suggests that UK household’s spent approximately £920 in 2013 on housing alterations and improvements but this varied throughout the country.

Total spend across the UK ranged from £500 in the North East and Yorkshire & Humber, to £1,600 in the South West and just a £1000 in London. These figures can be attributed to homeownership being far lower in London than in the South West and equity-rich retirees who move out of London and spend significantly on home improvement.

Michael Dall, Lead Economist at Barbour ABI, said of the planning statistics: “With the exception of London, the rate of planning applications for home improvements are greater in boroughs where refusal rates from planning authorities for new homes is higher.

“Combined with equity and income, these three drivers for home improvement are the most logical reasons from our analysis as to why the majority of Southern England is outperforming the North for home improvement.”

The table shows home improvement applications per 100 households for the last three years.