Updated September 2026 · Report
The UK Housing Pipeline: Q3 2026
How many new homes are moving through the UK planning system, built from the dwelling counts on applications SiteLens tracks across the public registers. Figures cover the last 12 months and count only applications where a dwelling count could be determined: a floor, not a complete national total. Free to cite with a link to this page.
The pipeline contains 437,430 homes across 20,864 applications with a stated dwelling count. Of these, 308,895 homes remain in planning awaiting a decision, while 46,346 have been approved. Major schemes of 10 or more homes account for 2,567 applications, representing a significant proportion of activity likely to sustain material demand and subcontractor schedules over the medium term. This volume signals continued momentum through the planning system, though the ratio of homes awaiting decision to approved homes indicates extended lead times before many projects move to construction phase.
The South East dominates the pipeline with 120,846 homes (27.6 per cent of the total), followed by the East of England with 73,865 homes (16.9 per cent). Greater London holds 47,450 homes (10.8 per cent), the North West 37,820 homes (8.6 per cent), and the South West 35,735 homes (8.2 per cent). These five regions account for the majority of pipeline activity, with the South East and East of England combined representing nearly 45 per cent of all homes in the system.
Homes in the pipeline vs approved
Of 437,430 homes across applications in the last 12 months, 308,895 are still in planning (awaiting a decision) and 46,346 have been approved and are heading towards site. The in-planning figure is the leading edge of demand: the schemes the supply chain can engage before they break ground. Counts come from 20,864 applications carrying a dwelling count.
Where the homes are
The regions with the most homes moving through planning over the last 12 months. A region’s share reflects both its size and how much residential development is in train there.
Homes in the pipeline by region, last 12 months (share of the total).
Councils with the most homes in the pipeline
The local planning authorities seeing the most new homes come through their registers, where residential activity is most concentrated right now.
| # | Council | Region | Homes | Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medway Council | South East | 11,131 | 115 |
| 2 | Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council | South East | 10,043 | 84 |
| 3 | Bedford Borough Council | East of England | 8,761 | 64 |
| 4 | Maidstone Borough Council | South East | 8,745 | 117 |
| 5 | Swale Borough Council | South East | 8,534 | 95 |
| 6 | Cheshire East Council | North West | 8,066 | 162 |
| 7 | West Oxfordshire District Council | South East | 7,952 | 111 |
| 8 | Milton Keynes City Council | South East | 7,338 | 40 |
| 9 | Test Valley Borough Council | South East | 6,469 | 127 |
| 10 | Huntingdonshire District Council | East of England | 6,453 | 114 |
| 11 | North East Lincolnshire Council | Yorkshire | 6,339 | 34 |
| 12 | South Cambridgeshire District Council | East of England | 5,954 | 76 |
Methodology
Homes are counted from the dwelling count on each application, taken from the application documents where SiteLens has extracted them, otherwise derived from the application description. Only applications carrying a usable count are included, so these are a floor, not a complete national total, and coverage expands as more registers and documents are processed. “In planning” means awaiting a decision. “Approved” means granted in the period. Implausibly large counts are excluded as likely data errors. Follow-on approvals of an already counted scheme may currently be counted again, so treat the total as an upper reading of the floor. For the wider picture (application volumes, approval rates and decision times) see the State of UK Planning report, or explore any authority on its SiteLens council page.
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