Housebuilding is highest for 9 years

MORE homes are being built than at any time during the past nine years.

Some 164,960 new homes were started in the year to June 2017, the highest rolling annual total since 2008, government figures show.

The figure is an increase of more than threequarters since a low in 2009. Another 153,000 new homes have been finished during the same period, 11pc up on the year before.

The Government said it was proof ‘we are getting Britain building again’ but housing charity Shelter’s chief executive Polly Neate said: ‘Sadly we’re nowhere near touching distance of the 250,000 homes a year we desperately need.’

Figures yesterday also showed the UK economy grew 0.3pc in the second quarter, up from 0.2pc during the first three months of 2017.