Burnley, Pendle and Ribble Valley exceed new homes targets
Thousands of new homes have been built across Burnley, Pendle and Ribble Valley over the past three years, with all three areas exceeding the minimum number required under a Government calculation.
New figures show 783 homes were delivered in Burnley between 2022/23 and 2024/25, compared with a calculated housing need of just 164.
That gave the borough a Housing Delivery Test score of 478% – the highest in Lancashire.
In neighbouring Pendle, 534 homes were built against a requirement of 397, resulting in a score of 135%.
Ribble Valley also significantly exceeded its figure, with 1,552 homes delivered compared with a calculated need of 365; a score of 425%.
The Housing Delivery Test compares the number of homes actually built in each local authority area with the minimum number considered necessary under a Government formula.
Across Lancashire, a total of 18,291 homes were built between 2022/23 and 2024/25, with 12 of the county’s 14 planning authorities achieving at least 95% of their calculated housing need.
Burnley recorded the highest percentage score in Lancashire, ahead of Preston on 460% and Ribble Valley on 425%.
However, two Lancashire councils failed to deliver enough homes under the test.
Lancaster saw 612 homes built against a requirement of 1,271, giving it a score of 48%, while Chorley delivered 986 against a target of 1,553 – equivalent to 63%.
Both authorities will now face Government planning measures aimed at increasing housing delivery.
These include producing an action plan, adding a 20% buffer to their identified supply of deliverable housing land and, in certain circumstances, allowing development outside areas previously earmarked for housebuilding.
Lancashire’s remaining authorities all avoided intervention after achieving at least 95% of their housing requirement. The figures include homes delivered by both the private and social housing sectors.