According to the National House Builders Council (NHBC), the volume of new houses being developed in this year’s first quarter has increased to a figure not seen for five years at the beginning of the year. That can only be good news for Merseyside and Cheshire builders, as well as tradesman operating in other parts of the country.
The NHBC reported that 31,739 new houses have been developed from January to April, with new builds rising to 22% in the last year.
Among the increase’s biggest drivers is the Government. NHBC reported a 43% rise in registrations in the public sector when compared to a year ago, largely due to the £2.2bn Affordable Homes programme from the government, which plans to offer 170,000 houses by April of 2015.
Richard Tamayo, Commercial Director for NHBC, said:
“This rise in new homes being registered – particularly affordable homes – is very encouraging news for Britain’s house-building industry which has been through a very difficult time in recent years.”
Tamayo went on to say that the numbers may indicate that confidence is being restored in the industry. However, he pointed out that they need to be viewed taking into account that overall volumes of new homes remain significantly lower than historic levels.
The rise in Merseyside began from a low start, with 643 houses registered in 2013’s first quarter, rising from 369 in the first quarter of 2012. There were further significant increases in the West and East Midlands, with registrations rising to 2,365 and 2,522 from 1,638 and 1,902 respectively.
