27% drop in planning applications says Barbour ABI

PR Log (Press Release) – Dec 05, 2008 – The rate of decline steepened during October compared to the previous month noticeably for larger schemes and for homeowner applications.

Barbour ABI is the only organisation in the UK that reports on 100% of planning applications. Our core business is supplying construction industry professionals with analysis, trends and construction leads.

Adam Valentine, Research Director, says: “October saw a 27% drop in planning applications year on year compared to October 2007. Furthermore, looking at the data for the last two months, there is a greater fall in the number of home improver applications than in overall numbers of planning applications.

This demonstrates the ongoing effects of the slowdown in construction and the squeeze on homeowners  preventing them drawing equity from their properties, as well as the possible effects of changes to permitted development introduced on 1st October.”