bbc.com
England's New Home Construction Falls Short of Government Target
In the 12 months to June 2025, 201,000 new homes in England received their first Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), an 8% decrease from the previous year, falling short of the government's target of 1.5 million new homes by 2029.
- How reliable is using EPC data as a measure of new home construction, and what are its limitations?
- While EPC issuance reflects overall new home registrations, it doesn't account for demolitions. However, when comparing EPC data with net additional dwellings, both show a similar trend. This suggests that although the number of new homes is declining, the overall trend is still reflected in the EPC data.",
- What is the current rate of new home construction in England, and how does it compare to the government's target of 1.5 million homes by 2029?
- In the year leading up to June 2025, 201,000 new homes in England received their first Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), an 8% decrease compared to the previous year. This continues a downward trend that started under the Conservative government, falling short of the government's target of 1.5 million new homes by 2029.",
- What policy changes or interventions could be implemented to address the shortfall in new home construction and increase the pace of housing development in England?
- The discrepancy between the government's ambitious housing target and the current EPC data reveals a significant shortfall. This raises concerns about the feasibility of achieving the target by 2029 and indicates a potential need for policy adjustments to stimulate new home construction.",
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The framing emphasizes the shortfall in new housing numbers compared to the government's target. While presenting data showing a recent increase in building applications, the article's overall tone and headline focus on the decrease in new homes built, thus potentially leaving a negative impression on readers despite some positive trends.
Bias by Omission
The analysis focuses primarily on the number of new homes built, as measured by EPC issuance. While acknowledging that this metric doesn't account for demolitions, the report mentions that a comparison with 'net additional dwellings' shows a similar trend. However, the methodology of 'net additional dwellings' is not explained, potentially omitting crucial context for a complete understanding. The impact of potential inaccuracies in either metric, and how that relates to the overall target, is not explicitly addressed. There is no discussion of the quality or affordability of the new homes, or the distribution across different regions, potentially leaving out significant elements of the housing situation.
Sustainable Development Goals
The article tracks the progress of new housing construction in England, which directly relates to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) that aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Tracking new housing construction is a key indicator of progress towards achieving sustainable urban development. The data presented contributes to monitoring progress on this goal, informing policy and resource allocation for housing development.