The 2021 HDT has been published and includes a reduction in period for measuring total homes required. Usually this would be measured over a 3-year period, but an 8-month period has been used for the 2020/21 monitoring year. This is to account for the considerable variations in levels of housing delivery as local planning authorities and construction industry faced disruptions due to the pandemic.

Additionally, an 11-month period has been used for the 2019/20 monitoring year. This was to account for disruption to housing delivery and monitoring caused by the first national lockdown in March 2020. The thresholds for consequences for under-delivery will be maintained, as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.