How do we track progress on Labour’s pledge of 1.5 million new homes?published at 11:12 GMT
11:12 GMT
Daniel Wainwright
BBC Verify senior data journalist
For much of the past 19 months, it has been clear that Labour’s pledge to build 1.5 million homes in England by the next election would be difficult to meet.
However, new figures shared with BBC Verify point to a potential sharp rise in demand. Data from Planning Portal, the website used to submit planning applications, shows applications for more than 335,000 homes outside London in 2025 – up 60% in a year. Applications in London fell by almost a third last year, returning near to 2023 levels.
This is an early stage in a process that can take years and many applications will be withdrawn, amended or rejected.
BBC Verify also tracks how many new homes are built using energy performance certificates (EPCs), which are required for all new properties and broadly follow the official figures – although they can be issued before a home is complete and occupied.
The latest data shows 202,803 new EPCs in 2025, down from 208,072 in 2024 – well short of the 300,000 a year needed.
But registrations in the second half of 2025 were slightly higher than a year earlier.
Ministers say it will take time to ramp up house-building as many homes completed since the election were started under Conservative planning policies.