New UK home registrations at five year high

Massive increase in London registrations

The number of new homes registered with the National House-Builders Council in the first three months of this year is 31,739, the highest level for this period since 2008.

The numbers are up 22% on the same period last year, which according to the NHBC is largely due to the Government's £2.2 billion Affordable Homes Programme. Its goal is to deliver 170,000 new homes by spring 2015.

The NHBC statistics also reveal a 61 per cent increase in new houses being registered in London in the first three months of 2013 compared to last year, thanks in part to the Battersea Power Station redevelopment. Over the next 15 years, more than 3,000 new homes will be built on this site.

NHBC Commercial Director Richard Tamayo 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. These figures may be an indication that much-needed confidence is returning to the industry, although they should be viewed in the context of overall new homes volumes remaining significantly below historic levels."