THE extent of Barnsley’s lack of house-building has been revealed in a report - which shows targets for new properties are being constantly missed.
Projections for new homes - set by the council - have fallen short throughout the financial year, the Chronicle can reveal.
With the financial year split into quarters, the first three show just 551 new homes were created against a target of 2,025, with the final quarter’s figures still to be revealed.
Quarter three fared poorly, with just 132 being achieved from a 675 target - less than a fifth of the council’s projection.
A report said: “The decline in net housing completions continues to highlight a complex set of challenges affecting delivery at both national and local levels.
“Across the UK, the housing market is under sustained pressure from rising construction costs, driven by persistent inflation, labour shortages, and global supply chain disruptions.
“These factors have significantly impacted development viability, particularly for sites with marginal returns.
“In addition, uncertainty surrounding national policy reforms - such as proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the introduction of spatial development strategies and evolving requirements around biodiversity net gain - has contributed to developer caution and delayed investment decisions.
“At a local level, issues such as constrained land availability, infrastructure capacity and community opposition to new development further complicate the picture.”
Housing delivery in Barnsley stood at 84 per cent of targets between 2020 and 2023, meaning an under supply of more than 3,600 houses required by the government was registered by the council, but it’s anticipated that the period from 2024 onwards has worsened.
However, the government’s Brownfield Housing Fund is set to unlock giant, disused sites in Barnsley such as ex-quarries and mines by cleaning up their contaminated land to make them more enticing to developers.
The first two Barnsley-based sites - 13 acres off the Cudworth Parkway commuting belt and former open cast mining land off Coniston Avenue in Darton - are set to undergo remediation work after county bosses signed off on a combined £2.2m package.
Leaders believe it will help local authorities to deliver their house-building ambitions which have been mired in controversy due to local residents’ campaigns and developers’ reluctance to take on brownfield sites with a working history.
“These challenges are not unique to Barnsley - they mirror a broader national trend, with planning application submission rates and housing starts falling across many regions,” the report added.
“The cumulative effect is a slowdown in delivery at a time when demand for housing remains acute, exacerbated by demographic growth and affordability pressures.
“Despite these headwinds, the council continues to adopt a proactive and positive approach to housing delivery.
“We are granting planning permissions in line with our adopted local plan and working to unlock complex sites that require additional intervention.
“Housing development remains a key priority for both central government and the council, and we are actively engaging in national policy discussions while collaborating strategically with neighbouring authorities at a regional level to accelerate delivery.
“Efforts are ongoing to address barriers to development, supported by clear direction from the government which continues to emphasise housebuilding as a driver of economic growth and community regeneration.
“The council remains committed to enabling high-quality development, ensuring planning decisions are made efficiently and without unnecessary delay, and maintaining a strong pipeline of sites to meet future housing needs.”
