House Building Stats - June Quarter 2016
Figures recently released by the Department for Communities and Local Government show that housebuilding in the June quarter of 2016 increased slightly compared to the previous quarter. There was a total of 36,400 starts, a 2% increase compared to the previous quarter, and 6% increase on a year earlier. Starts are still 26% below their March quarter 2007 peak, but are 112% above the trough in the March quarter of 2009. Annual housing starts totalled 144,280 in the year to June 2016.
Completions stood at 34,920 in the June quarter 2016, 7% higher than in the previous quarter, and 2% below their level in the same quarter a year ago. Completions are now 28% below their peak in the March quarter 2007 and 39% above the trough in March quarter 2013. In terms of tenure of developer, from 1946 to the 1980’s a large number of completions were delivered by Local Authorities through council housing but this has reduced dramatically since changes in the 1980s saw local authorities becoming housing ‘enablers’ working with housing associations rather than direct ‘providers’. Completions delivered by the private sector dominates the market today.