New data has revealed that the South East, excluding London, accounts for nearly a quarter (24.3 per cent) of all new homes applied for in England submitted over the last five years.

It is the highest of any region in the country – more than 100,000 ahead of the region with the next highest number.

Unveiled in Planning Portal’s new Planning Application Index, the findings show that between 2020 and 2024, there were 337,017 new home applications in the South East.

In comparison, the East of England which reported the second largest number of new home submissions with 232,864.

Even excluding Greater London statistics, the South East remains the region with the highest number of new homes applied for in England, with property values in the capital driving people to seek housing further into the South East.

Between 2020 to 2024, planning permission was sought for 1,501,161 new units, matching the government’s housebuilding target. Yet, Planning Portal data shows that in 2024, only 233,811 new homes were applied for across England. A sharp decline compared to the 2020 to 2024 average (300,232).

To support the government’s goal of reaching 1.5 million homes by 2029, local authorities nationwide have been assigned annual targets for new home construction.

Despite the South East making significant development progress, the top four areas needing the largest increase in housing to meet their new targets are actually all situated within the region. Including the town of Gosport which has been tasked with delivering 442 new units each year – eight times its average of 53. Demand for homes in the South East remains, potentially pushing up the annual targets to accommodate it.

Geoff Keal, CEO of TerraQuest, operator of Planning Portal, said: “Last summer, the Labour government promised that it would build 1.5 million homes to combat the housing crisis. To make this a reality, it announced the prioritisation of building on brownfield land and the use of the greenbelt.

“The data from the South East shows that houses are being applied for at a higher rate compared to the rest of the country. While this is great to see, this still needs to rise if the region is to meet the government’s new annual target and accommodate the growing number of people hoping to live near the capital. If we are to make 1.5 million homes a reality, England must increase its planning activity substantially.”