Fewer new homes being built than last year, despite ministers' promises

Theresa May has made increasing house-building her personal mission, but new figures reveal a 4 per cent fall

The number of new homes being built has dropped in the last year, new figures have revealed – despite Theresa May having made it her personal "mission” to oversee an increase in house-building.

Data released by the Ministry of Housing showed building work began on 157,480 new homes in 2017-18 – down from 163,000 the previous year.

Although the number of homes completed increased by 9,000 in the last year, the slowdown in new construction is likely to cause concern among ministers, who said they were "restless" to drive up building rates.

Ms May has previously vowed to tackle the UK’s housing crisis, saying it was her “mission” to get Britain building.

She said last year: “The number of new homes being delivered each year has been increasing since 2010, but there is more we can do.

“We must get back into the business of building the good quality new homes for people who need them most.

“That is why I have made it my mission to build the homes the country needs and take personal charge of the government’s response."

Despite this, 8 per cent fewer homes were built in the last three months than in the same period last year.

Ten years on from the 2008 banking collapse, the number of new homes being built has still not recovered to the highs reached in 2007.

However, it has more than doubled since the post-recession slump in 2009.

Labour said the “dreadfully disappointing” figures were a direct result of government funding cuts.

John Healey, the shadow housing secretary, said: “Theresa May has made housing her ‘personal mission’, yet these dreadfully disappointing figures show that the number of new homes being built has fallen on her watch.

“We are now well on our way to a lost decade of low housebuilding under the Conservatives, with housebuilding still far lower than under Labour almost 10 years on from the depths of the global financial crisis."

He added: “These problems are of the government’s own making: huge cuts to housing investment and piecemeal planning changes have put a brake on new housing development including desperately needed affordable homes.

“The next Labour government will build a million new low-cost homes to rent and buy for hard pressed families.”

Number of social housing properties in England drops 11 per cent in one year

The government highlighted the increase in the number of new homes completed.

Dominic Raab, the housing minister, said: “I welcome seeing the number of new homes being built increasing by 8 per cent on last year.

“However we are restless to do much more to build the homes Britain needs – and make them more affordable for those on lower and middle incomes.”

Earlier this week, James Brokenshire, the housing secretary, announced £1.7bn of investment in 23,000 new affordable homes, including at least 12,500 social homes.

He said: "The government has ambitious plans to fix the broken housing market and build the homes our communities need

"Today’s announcement is a further milestone. It will secure the delivery of an additional 23,000 much-needed affordable homes as well as paving the way for a new generation of council houses."