Ministers have been accused of ‘capitulation to the Nimby lobby’ after the number of planning permissions granted for new homes tumbled.

In a report that fuelled fears over the chronic shortage of housing in Britain, the Home Builder Federation (HBF) said approvals for new developments ‘continue to plunge’.

The report showed planning permission was granted for 135,290 new homes in the first half of the year – down 17 per cent on a year ago.

At the same time, the number of housing projects given the green light fell to 2,456 in the second quarter, down 20 per cent on a year earlier and the lowest level since similar records began in 2006. 

The HBF said if the trend continues it will lead to a reduction in delivery of 44,000 homes a year which would see housing supply for England fall to levels not seen for a decade. 

Stewart Baseley, executive chairman of the HBF, said: ‘Over recent years the policy environment has become increasingly anti-development and anti-business.

‘The Government’s capitulation to the Nimby lobby on planning, its mishandling of water legislation and amid a lack of mortgage availability the lack of support for first-time buyers could see housing supply drop markedly in the coming years.

‘Fewer homes being built amidst an acute housing crisis has clear social implications, in particular for young people.’

Yet, the claims come as major housebuilders have revealed a slump in demand from buyers.

This week both Barratt and Berkeley revealed that new home reservations had plummeted and forecast that they would build less homes next year.

Barratt said new home reservations had slumped by 30 per cent while Berkeley said its reservations were down 35 per cent.

Both builders continue to make big profits and maintain high sale prices, however, there are concerns over how the sector will perform as the full effect of much higher mortgage rates comes through, alongside the lack of Help to Buy subsidies that boosted builders in the past.

Berkeley announced that it would freeze land investment as rate hikes bite.

A forthcoming movie set in 1750’s Denmark has been accused of lacking diversity and told it risks not qualifying for Best Picture at the Oscars following new rules laid down in Hollywood.

The Promised Land sees James Bond actor Mads Mikkelsen play an 18th-century army captain struggling to raise his social status and maintain his values in an increasingly hostile climate. 

Mikkelsen appears alongside a predominantly white cast, and during an interview a Danish journalist quizzed the actor about the dearth of racial diversity – which riled the star.

The reporter asked him: ‘The film is entirely Nordic, it therefore has some lack of diversity you would say, there’s also new rules implied in Hollywood…?’

Mikkelsen, who starred in Casino Royale as a villain, immediately shook his head and asked: ‘What are you on?’, before turning to his director in apparent disbelief.

The journalist then explained that Best Picture Academy nominees must align with new rules announced by the Oscars committee which state that movies must include diverse leading or supporting actors, or that a large number of the cast are from underrepresented groups.

He asked: ‘It’s not because of artistic reasons, it’s because of a lack of diversity, are you worried about it?’

An irritated Mikkelsen, 57, replied: ‘Are you? You’re putting us on the spot so you answer the question.’

During an interview, a Danish journalist quizzed Mr Mikkelsen about the dearth of racial diversity – which riled him

Mikkelsen quickly bit back at the reporter before looking to director Nikolaj Arcel

Mikkelsen, who starred in Casino Royale as a villain, immediately shook his head, and asked: ‘What are you on?’ and turned to his director in apparent disbelief

Director Nikolaj Arcel then intervened and explained that the movie does in fact feature an ethnically diverse character who was a victim of racism.

‘We do have a big plot line about a girl of colour who is being subjected to racism, she was probably at the time the only [person of colour] in the entire country of Denmark.

‘It wasn’t a thought in our mind, I think it would be a little weird, it’s just how it was in the 1750s,’ Mr Arcel added as Mr Mikkelsen grinned beside him.

The historical drama is based on a novel inspired by a real person, Captain Ludvig Kahlen, and premiered at the recent Venice Film Festival.

In May the Oscars committee announced new representation and inclusion standards for a film to be eligible for the awards, though it applies solely for the best picture category. 

The standards, which come into effect next year, are designed to encourage equal representation on and off screen to better reflect the diversity of the movie-going and movie-making audience.

They require that the film must meet the criteria of either having at least one of the lead actors or significant supporting actors, or that 30 per cent of the secondary roles, are from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group.

Ministers are facing pressure to rethink the planned ban on new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 amid a chronic shortage of electric car charging points.

Around 40 per cent of UK households do not have a driveway or access to off-street parking, a figure that rises to 60 per cent in urban areas.

As a result, many will be forced to rely on a public network of ‘on-street’ electric car chargers as well as service stations and other sites such as supermarket car parks.

But a report shows there are just 17,047 on-street chargers in the UK – with 75 per cent of them in London.

And in a further sign government efforts to drive an electric car revolution are floundering, nearly seven in ten local authorities in the UK have yet to install any on-street charging points.

Powerless: Around 40% of UK households do not have a driveway or access to off-street parking, a figure that rises to 60% in urban areas

The figures, uncovered by a Freedom of Information request by car maker Vauxhall, will fuel fears that Britain does not have the infrastructure required to hit the Government’s deadline.

Industry experts warn motorists – particularly those who cannot charge their cars at home – are being put off making the switch by so-called ‘range anxiety’, as well as the high cost of buying an electric vehicle.

The Daily Mail has launched a campaign calling on ministers to rethink the 2030 petrol and diesel ban. Recent polling for this newspaper found that barely one in four agree with the deadline.

Tory MP Sir John Redwood said: ‘Many people are put off buying EVs by the absence of reliable charging points, the short range and the time it takes to charge a car. 

Councils make this worse by not putting facilities in. We are also short of grid capacity and on many days EVs are recharged using electricity from fossil fuels.’

Fellow Tory Craig Mackinlay said the lack of on-street charging points risked generating ‘further public distrust’ of electric cars, adding to existing concerns about driving range, cost and reliability. 

He added: ‘The looming 2030 ban of new petrol and diesel cars and vans is premature, out of step with competitors in the US and EU and noting the lack of enthusiasm by local authorities in providing charging points, looking like a pipe dream to be enjoyed solely by the wealthy.’

The report by Vauxhall found that while London has 12,708 on-street charging points, there are just 4,339 more spread across the rest of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

The capital has another 6,397 on-street charging points planned over the next year compared to just 3,580 for the rest of the country. 

Vauxhall also revealed 69 per cent of councils and local authorities have yet to install any on-street charging points and a similar number has not published any kind of strategy to do so.

That threatens to undermine government plans to have 300,000 public charging points in place by 2030.

‘Accessibility to charge points near your home is critical to the transition to electric vehicle ownership in the UK,’ said Vauxhall managing director James Taylor. ‘We want to help educate and inform the decision-makers, and enable the installation of more chargers, more quickly.’

In order to hit the 300,000 target, public chargers need to be installed at a rate of over 100 a day. However, with fewer than 4,000 installed in April, May and June, the rate is around 40 a day.

Quentin Willson, founder of campaign group FairCharge, said: ‘The UK needs thousands of local charging hubs to encourage EV uptake among the population without driveways who can’t charge at home.

‘The Government needs to get a grip on this.’

Critics have warned the rushed policy and incoming ban on petrol and diesel cars could cost hundreds of thousands of jobs and leave households worse off.