GOVERNMENT HAILS CONTINUED RISE IN HOUSE BUILDS

MINISTERS HIGHLIGHT A STEADY INCREASE IN NEW HOUSING STARTS

The government have reported 42,110 new housing starts between the period October – December 2020, representing a 16% increase on the previous quarter.

MHCLG, the department responsible for the planning system in England and the delivery of housing, stressed that last quarter’s increase also follows a 116 per cent increase from July to September 2020 – an indication that the number of homes being built since the lifting of the first period of national coronavirus restrictions continues to rise.   

VIEW THE STATISTICS IN FULL HERE:  

Housing supply: indicators for new supply in England: October to December 2020, published by the Office for National Statistics and MHCLG

46,950 new homes were completed in the latest quarter, a 4% increase compared to previous, and the highest completions figure since its peak in the March quarter of 2007.

The figures also show an increase in housebuilding starts in London with 13,460 in 2020, an increase of 11% from 2019.

The government also highlight that statistics for the past year demonstrate a shift in balance from the construction of new apartment to houses – with 79% of all new build dwellings being houses – the highest proportion since 2000 to 2001.

Housing Secretary RT Hon Robert Jenrick MP said:

Today’s figures show a steady increase in the number of new housing starts and the number of new homes built, highlighting a sustained period of growth in the housing sector as it continues its recovery.

The government has continued to demonstrate its support for the industry throughout the pandemic by enabling construction sites to remain open and operate safely in line with important public health guidance. We’ve intervened to help the sector bounce back despite all the challenges we’ve faced.

Ministers were keen to stress recent government support for housebuilding through their ongoing proposed reforms of the planning system.  

The government hope that proposed changes will be a boost to SME builders, and pointed to their new push for homes and places to be ‘beautiful’.

Alongside £20 billion of investment in new housing confirmed in the recent spending review, including over £12 billion of investment in affordable housing and a £7.1 billion National Home Building Fund, the government also point to changes already implemented – such as allowing builders to seek more flexible construction site working hours with their local councils and extending certain planning permissions that would otherwise lapse, in order to keep the sector moving.

Further information can be found on the Gov.uk website:  

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/home-building-figures-show-increase-in-new-housing-starts