Housebuilding makes 'solid' Q2 return

UK housebuilding activity has returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to an industry body. Some 40,289 new homes were completed in the second quarter, 16% higher than the same period in 2021, the National House Building Council (NHBC) said. It was the highest quarterly figure since 42,354 completions were recorded in the fourth quarter of 2019. Wales was the only part of the UK to see a decrease in new home completions in the second quarter of this year compared with the second quarter of 2021, with 1,183 completions recorded, falling slightly from 1,189. In the second quarter of 2020, when strict lockdown restrictions were in place, just 11,059 new home completions were recorded. Growth in new home completions in the second quarter was driven by the private sector, where completions were up by 23%, while completions in the affordable and build-to-rent sectors were level, the NHBC said. 

Daily Mail (09/08/2022)