The government has been urged to release extra funding to train more planning staff to reverse the worsening housing crisis highlighted in the latest ONS figures.
The call comes from FMB chief Brian Berry, who said the latest fall in house building activity is further evidence of the growing crisis in the provision of homes in the UK.
Hesaid: “A drop of 4.4% in housing activity in February should be a worrying signal to the Government that its housing policy isn’t working. At a time when our housing need is at its greatest, we are building fewer homes.
“That can’t be right! We need a long-term plan to build and meet the country’s housing needs.
“The Government needs to get house building out of planning purgatory by simplifying the planning system and directing funding to local authority planning departments to help them take on and train more planning staff. ”
