Most new homes since 2008 crash

THE number of new homes in England rose by nearly 0,000 last year, the highest level since the financial crisis.

Official figures yesterday showed the total was 17,350 in 016-17. House builders hailed ‘huge progress’, but it is short of the Government’s 50,000 target, which experts say is needed just to keep up with demand.

The figures showed the biggest chunk of new homes, 40,000, was in London. About 37,000 were in the South East and the fewest, about 10,500, were in the North East. The overall figures were the best since

008, when the total stood at 3,530. That was followed by a halving of output as many small builders went bust and bigger providers cut back.

Stewart Baseley of the Home Builders Federation said the data shows ‘huge progress’ and the ‘rapid rate at which builders have responded to positive measures from government’.

But Oxford University professor Danny Dorling said: ‘These homes will not solve the problems … one extra home for every 50 people.’