UK housebuilding still failing to meet government targets

29 January 2020


New builds continue to fall below government targets according to new figures published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Annual new build starts totalled 157,550 to September 2019, a 7% year-on-year decrease.

As a quarterly figure, new build starts in England were estimated at 39,510 (seasonally adjusted) in the latest quarter, a 2% increase compared to the previous 3 months and an 11% increase year-on-year.  Completions were estimated at 46,000, a 2% increase from the previous quarter and 11% higher than a year ago.

Private starts are up by 3%. Starts by housing associations are down 4% lower and completions down by 14%.

In the December Queen’s Speech the Government reiterated their aim to achieve 300,000 new builds per year by the mid-2020s and total one million new homes over the entire parliament (a figure which only equates to 200,000 per year assuming a five-year parliament).

“The government has set a target of delivering a million homes in the next five years, yet today’s figures show that the construction industry is way off meeting those rates on current trends.” said Clive Docwra, managing director of McBains.