There is widespread concern among estate agents that the UK government and the devolved administrations will fail to meet their housebuilding targets.

Data gathered by Propertymark found that a significant proportion of its member agents doubt that the housebuilding targets set by the government will be met.

Research covering which factors are likely to thwart the UK government’s and the devolved administrations’ housebuilding targets, most members believe that planning restrictions will be the biggest obstacle for progression.

A lack of a skilled workforce and population growth were also rated as two other potential factors that could jeopardise the separate housebuilding targets of the UK Government and the devolved administrations, with one member commenting that there is also little provision for needed infrastructure to support housing plans.

The news comes as the UK government’s legislation designed to help build 1.5 million new homes in England by 2029, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, just passed its Second Reading in the House of Commons.

Meanwhile, the Scottish government intends to construct 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, of which at least 70% will be for social rent and 10 per cent will be in rural and island communities.

The Welsh government has an ongoing target to construct 20,000 new homes by 2026.

The Department for Communities’ Housing Supply Strategy 2024 – 2039, which was approved by the Northern Irish Executive on 5 December 2024, provides a 15-year framework to construct 100,000 new social and private homes by 2039.

Nathan Emerson, CEO at Propertymark, said: “While the housing goals of various government are admirable and ambitious, they must also be realistic and provide the homes that the UK housing market needs to stabilise house prices in the long-term.

“It is vital to ensure that there is a skilled workforce in place ready to construct those homes, alongside the necessary planning reforms that can speed up building more homes without paving over Green Belt areas. The must be wide ranging engagement with all key stakeholders to help ensure a unified, collaborative and coordinated approach that keeps pace with ever increasing housing demand.

“Ultimately, there must be wide ranging political cooperation to ensure continuity for the long-term, should there be any change in government at any future general election.”