Northern residential planning figures up 84% in 2025
In line with national trends, the third quarter of this year has seen a substantial increase in the number of homes entering the regional planning system – jumping from 11,651 in 2024 to 21,379.
The figures come from TerraQuest, the company behind the Planning Portal, which is the platform where 95% of planning applications are submitted.
The numbers TerraQuest reported are higher than government statistics, which look at planning applications once they are validated as opposed to when they are first submitted. Government figures also look at the number of homes that achieve planning permission, rather than those that are proposed at the start – which is what TerraQuest did.
An increase in 84% regarding the number of residences for which planning permission was sought is higher than the national figure – which was 68%. With stats this high, 2025 is already outperforming all of 2023, according to the TerraQuest.
“This is a clear statement of intent from housebuilders, taking to heart the government’s determination to drive housing delivery,” said Geoff Keal, chief executive of TerraQuest.
“The figures will also be welcome news beyond the housing sector, with new homes widely recognised as a cornerstone of the country’s future economic prosperity,” he continued.
“What is less clear, however, is how these promising housing application figures will translate into delivery.”
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Keal acknowledged that the numbers reported at the start of the planning process are hardly ever the same figures that come out of it.
“We typically see some attrition along the way from application to delivery, whether through applications being refused, changes of plans on the part of developers, or economic changes rendering plans unviable,” he said.
“With the government’s recent commitment to get spades in the ground on the first three new towns before the next election, we can already see the focus turning to delivery, which is a promising sign.
“The industry now needs to come together, alongside government, and take the proactive steps necessary to get the country building.”
While the Northern outlook at large was positive, the numbers are not so rosy for the North East, which actually had the number of homes being submitted for planning decrease from 2,553 in 2024 to 2,439. However, that 2,439 figure was 44.6% higher than the 1,687 homes entering the planning system in the same quarter in 2022.
In Yorkshire, the numbers were up 39% from 2024, going from 4,759 homes to 6,614. Looking at the three year period, however, the figures were down from the 2022 stat of 7,260.
The North West, on the flip side, has had a fantastic Q3 2025 no matter how you look at it. This year saw plans submitted for 12,326 homes, up 34% from Q3 2022 where only 9,193 homes were put in for planning. However, the largest growth was between this year and last. The number of homes going in for planning permission increased 184%, going from 4,339 to 12,326.
