New data has found the number of new homes completed by
developers in the year ending June 2019 had surged to over
170,000 – the highest number built over the same period in the
last 11 years.
Published today (Thursday 3 October) by Government, the figures
show a total of 173,660 new homes were built for the year ending
June 2019 – representing an 8 per cent increase compared with the
previous year alone.
Welcoming the figures, Housing Secretary Rt Hon said:
“As Housing Secretary, it’s my mission to get Britain building.
“The data released today is hugely welcome, with the number of
new homes built reaching an 11-year high. We are moving in the
right direction, but there is still much more to do if we are
going to deliver the numbers needed by communities up and down
the country.
“I’m determined to deliver homes that are high-quality, well
designed and good for the planet. Faster and simpler planning
regulations will help us reach that goal, which is why I have
announced measures to accelerate planning decisions for homes and
reduce the use of unnecessary conditions by up to a third,
freeing up developers so they can get on and build in a locally
appropriate way.”
The last year also saw the proportion of family houses built
increase to 78% of all the new dwellings delivered in the
marketplace – the highest the figure has been since 2000.
Ministers have this week announced new measures as part of the
Accelerated Planning Green Paper which will quicken the pace of
decision making and get shovels in the ground faster.
New permitted development rights, including allowing the
demolition and rebuild of old commercial buildings, as well as
requiring councils to meet timescales or refund planning
application fees are aimed at getting homes built faster.
Today’s data release points to positive news ahead of publication
of comprehensive housing delivery statistics in November. Last
year 220,000 new homes were delivered by the English housing
market – the highest in all but one of the last 31 years.
NOTES TO EDITORS
- The quarterly housebuilding figures give an indication that
there will be an increase in housing supply for 2018/19. The net
additional dwellings statistics will be published on the 14th
November 2019.
- The statistics out today have been published online and can
be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/house-building-statistics
- The Accelerated Planning Green Paper will be published in
November 2019. Find more details here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/housing-secretary-unveils-green-housing-revolution
