The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) has released figures on new house building starts and completions in England up to the quarter ending September 2005.

In England during the quarter to September 2005 there were:

• 45,300 housing starts, down 1 per cent on the same period in 2004. 
• 37,800 housing completions, down 5 per cent on the same period in 2004.

Most of the fall in completions occurred in London and the North West, where the latest quarterly figures are compared with relatively high numbers of completions in the same quarter last year.

During the twelve months to the end of September 2005 in England there were:

• 175,900 starts, up 2 per cent on the figures for the previous twelve months 
• 154,900 completions, up 1 per cent on the figure for the previous twelve months

Provisional 2004/05 figures for the UK show 225,960 starts, up 7 per cent of the previous financial year, and 205,960 completions, up 8 per cent.

Recent trends in house building in England

Trends in housing starts and completions in England have levelled off during the last three quarters after a period of steady increase since 2002/03.

Regional trends

North and Midlands: Starts have levelled in all the North and Midland regions. Trends in completions are more varied, with increases in the East Midlands and West Midlands and falls in the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber.

London, South East, East and South West: Trends in starts have levelled or fallen over the last three quarters following the increases since 2002/03. The South East has continued an upward trend in completions. Completions in London have fallen from the relatively high levels in 2004/05.