Steep fall in new home starts

September 22, 2015

According to figures from the National Housing Federation (NHF) fewer than 460,000 homes were built between 2011 and 2014, the government expects to build 1m new homes by the end of this parliament, this is in response to the urgent need for housing, Brandon Lewis Housing Minister reportedly told the BBC’s Inside Out programme the government had projected a target of 1m new homes in the next 5 years.

It is very well to give out  these targets, however figures released last month showed that new homes being started  in England fell at its steepest rate for three years for the last quarter, housing starts saw a 14% decline to 33,280 from April to June, starts were 6% lower year on year according to the government’s own seasonally adjusted data.

Gill Payne, Director of policy and external affairs for the NHF reportedly said: “We haven’t built enough homes in this country for decades, and if the gap between the number of households forming and the number of new homes being built continues to grow, we are in danger of not being able to house our children.”

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Council funding to crack down on rogue landlords

English councils are set to receive additional funding and training to help tackle rogue landlords, ahead of taking on new responsibilities when renters’ rights reforms come into force next month. All 317 local authorities in England will share £41 million in funding, building on an earlier £18 million allocation made last autumn. The funding is…
Read More →
New Builds 2020
Breaking News

Fewer than 1 in 5 new properties securing buyer

New-build demand remains subdued as fewer than 1 in 5 homes find buyers in Q1 2026 The latest New-Build Stock and Demand Index from Property Inspect has found that demand for new-build homes remained subdued in the first quarter of 2026, with fewer than one in five new properties securing a buyer. New-build stock levels…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Top five AML red flags in UK property transactions

Cash-heavy and internationally supported purchases continue to shape the UK market New data from client due diligence platform Thirdfort reveals the most common anti-money laundering (AML) red flags identified in UK property transactions. Analysis of more than 415,000 completed Source of Funds (SoF) checks shows that the top five red flags are: Savings mismatch – 43.04% Gifted…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Discover Northern Ireland’s top emerging investment hotspots

Derry/ Londonderry and Fermanagh named Northern Ireland’s top emerging investment hotspots Northern Ireland’s emerging investment hotspots are delivering compelling opportunities for landlords in 2026, with new research from Belfast-based estate agency John Minnis revealing a shift in where investors are finding the strongest returns. Drawing on insights from the latest John Minnis Investment Guide, the…
Read More →
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 13/4/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Why customisation matters more than capability Thought Leadership by Wes Snow CEO & Co-founder of Ascendix Technologies ‘There’s a persistent misconception that success with Artificial Intelligence comes down to selecting the most advanced or sophisticated tool. In reality, that’s not where the value lies. The real…
Read More →
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

First-time buyers pay extra £307m in stamp duty since relief ended

New Rightmove analysis reveals that since the end of the temporary relief measure in April 2025, first-time buyers in England have paid an estimated £307 million extra in stamp duty, averaging £4,618 more per buyer: The total estimated first-time buyer stamp duty bill over the past year was £408 million, versus £101 million the previous year In April 2025 the first-time buyer stamp duty threshold was lowered from £425,000 to £300,000. Before the change 62% of homes for sale were stamp-duty free for first-time buyers and that has…
Read More →