UK housebuilders' land banks delay delivery of nearly 1 million homes

A recent study found that the five biggest UK housebuilders hold enough land for 869,000 homes – more than half of the government’s 1.5 million‑home target for this Parliament. Barratt Redrose alone controls 253,698 potential plots, while Taylor Wimpey, Persimmon, Vistry, Bellway and others together hold the rest. At current build rates, the pooled land would take up to 15 years to develop, prompting criticism that land‑banking prioritises profit over the housing shortage. The Competition and Markets Authority’s 2024 inquiry highlighted the size of these landbanks and led the developers to pay £100 million into affordable‑housing schemes, though they denied wrongdoing.

Parallel to the land‑bank issue, a cross‑party Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee report recommends unlocking heritage buildings to meet the housing need. Historic England estimates that converting unused historic structures could deliver about 670,000 homes, roughly half the target. The committee proposes a “heritage‑to‑housing” scheme, tax incentives, and stronger funding for church‑repair funds, arguing that re‑using old buildings both preserves cultural assets and eases the housing crunch.