Property developers face 'difficulties building new houses in Tory-run areas'

Property developers are finding it more difficult to get new houses built in areas controlled by Conservative politicians, according to new research.

Lendy, a peer to peer lending platform, said Conservative local authorities granted 77% of requests for planning permission in the last year, compared to 88% in Labour-controlled authorities.

The lowest approval rate was in Maldon in Essex, followed by Spelthorne in Surrey - both areas have Conservative local authorities and Conservative MPs, said the report.

Liam Brooke, co-founder of Lendy, said: "It is vital that MPs and politicians from all political parties do all they can to address the housing crisis, rather than providing obstacles for developers."

With the Conservatives winning control of more councils in the recent local council elections, efforts to reduce the housing shortage could be hit, as planning permission may be less likely to be granted, said the report.