Mortgage lending growth falls back in April
British Bankers Association (BBA) today releases April 2016 figures for the high street banks.
Gross mortgage borrowing of £12bn in the month was 12% higher than in April 2015. As expected, this was a slower month, following the inflated lending activity associated with borrowers completing purchases ahead of the stamp duty increase.
Net mortgage borrowing is running around 3% higher than a year ago.
House purchase approval numbers have resumed a downward trend after seeing increased activity during the three previous months which were influenced by the stamp duty change.
Numbers were some 6% lower than in April 2015.
Remortgaging approvals were 16% higher than in April 2015.
Dr Rebecca Harding, BBA Chief Economic Advisor said: “As expected, growth in mortgage lending has fallen back sharply on last month proving that March’s results were just a Stamp-Duty spike. Net mortgage borrowing is nevertheless 3% higher than a year ago.
“Separately, the fact that personal deposits are growing while ISA deposits continue to disappoint suggest consumers are using easy-access savings while the outlook for the economy remains uncertain. The increase in real wage growth may start to have positive knock-on effects on long-term savings if it is sustained.”
The above includes property associated news items only from the report, to see the full report from the (BBA) click here.
You May Also Enjoy
Mould and damp – what you need to know ahead of winter
Rental price and average salary tracker – September 2025
The cities where buying beats renting – with just a 5% deposit
Rightmove’s Weekly Mortgage Rates Tracker
Data and commentary from Rightmove on stamp duty reforms
