The figures from the Department for Communities and Local Government also show that in the final quarter of 2015 some 37,080 homes were started, a rise of 23% on the same quarter a year earlier and up 91% when compared to June 2009.
Completions for the fourth quarter of 2015 are estimated at 37,230, some 6% higher than the previous quarter and up 22% on the same quarter in 2014. Annual housing completions totalled 142,890 in the 12 months to December 2015, an increase of 21% compared with the previous 12 months.
Seasonally adjusted starts are now 116% above the trough in the first quarter of 2009 but 24% below the peak in the first quarter of 2007. Completions are 23% below their peak also in the first quarter of 2007.
It means both starts and completions for new build homes are at their highest level since 2008 with more than 700,000 new build homes started since April 2010.
Meanwhile, the latest figures from the Home Builders Federation show planning permission for 59,875 homes was granted in England during the third quarter of last year, up from 53,409 in the same quarter in 2014, a 12% rise.
The data also shows that 242,819 permissions were granted in the 12 months to October, the highest moving annual total since early 2008. However, many of the homes identified in the report still have a significant part of the planning system to navigate before any construction work can start, a process that could still take two or three years.
‘Our reforms to the planning system are delivering the permissions needed and schemes like Help to Buy have given builders the confidence to invest and build, with starts and completions now at their highest since 2008,’ said Communities Secretary Greg Clark.
A breakdown of the figures show strong regional growth with Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Leicestershire experiencing high levels of starts along with areas in North Oxfordshire and the Thames estuary.
The current projection is to deliver a million new homes by 2020/2021 and Housing Minister Brandon Lewis pointed out that proposals published last week will speed up the planning process. They include dedicated fast track application services.
However, the industry remains concerned that the lag of turning permissions into homes is becoming lengthier and the HBF hopes that the planning proposals will have an effect as it says that efficient planning is the best way to ensure that local people have an early say in the future shape of their communities and are able to benefit from the wealth of social and economic benefits that house building brings with it.
‘The house building industry has delivered an unprecedented increase in build rates over the past two years. The largest companies have increased their output by around 50% with overall housing numbers now up to around 180,000 a year,’ said Stewart Baseley, executive chairman of the HBF.
‘The industry's ability to increase output still further will largely be dictated by the rate at which planning permissions are granted. Whilst the overall increase in outline permissions is welcome, most of these still have to navigate the complexities of the planning system before they can be built. It is imperative we speed up the time it takes for applications to be processed to the point that builders can actually build if we are to deliver further increases in housing supply,’ he explained.
‘Introducing competition into the planning process and finding a way to incentivise Local Authorities to deal with applications more quickly would be a welcome step in the right direction,’ he added.
