BCP ranked worst in south west for housing delivery as developers warn of planning wake-up call
BCP Council has built less than 35% of the homes it was expected to deliver between 2022 and 2025
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council has been ranked the worst-performing authority in the south west for housing delivery after building barely a third of the homes required over a three-year period.
Between 2022 and 2025, BCP Council was required to deliver 8,010 homes but completed just 2,799 - a delivery rate of around 35%.
The figures have prompted a consortium of landowners and developers, including W H White, Bellway Homes, Miller Homes and AJC Group, to describe the result as a “serious wake-up call” for the area.
The group said the findings should be a catalyst for a fresh approach to meeting what it described as BCP’s “growing and genuine housing needs”.
“BCP’s residents deserve quality homes they can afford, and businesses need their staff to be able to find homes locally,” a spokesperson said.
They added that developers want to work with the council, the government and neighbouring Wessex authorities to get a deliverable Local Plan in place quickly.
As a result of its poor delivery rate, BCP Council must now prepare a Housing Action Plan and apply a 20% buffer to its five-year housing land supply.
The government’s “presumption in favour of sustainable development” has also been triggered, potentially making it harder for the council to resist suitable housing schemes.
The result follows a prolonged period in which BCP has lacked an adopted Local Plan capable of meeting its identified housing need.
The council’s deputy leader Cllr Mike Cox acknowledged the authority was among the lower-performing areas nationally but said comparisons failed to capture the particular challenges of building in the area.
He pointed to more than 9,000 homes that had planning permission in 2024/25 but remained unbuilt by developers.
“Planning is not the only factor when it comes to development,” Cllr Cox said, citing rising construction costs and wider pressures facing the building industry.
He also highlighted the area’s coastline, waterways and protected natural habitats, arguing that meeting mandatory housing targets was particularly challenging.
The council says progress is being made on its Local Plan, with updated evidence, a clear timetable and the first stage of public consultation completed.
But with thousands of homes still required, the latest figures are likely to intensify pressure on officials to turn permissions into bricks and mortar.