Between 1st October and 31st December, the number of dwellings where building work began was 30,860, 7% higher than the previous quarter and 52% more than the year before.

In this same period, the number of dwellings completed was 36,830, a 2% increase on the preceding quarter but 9% lower than the year before.

According to the government, 199,100 new homes were delivered in England between 1st April 2024 and 23rd March 2025.

Out of this amount, 142,800 were delivered alone since the start of this current parliament on 9th July 2024.

•   The Finance Professional Show 2024: The Video
•   Vistry profits fall 64% as 18,000 housing target missed
•   3,000 planners needed to boost housing growth says BPF

Commenting on this data, Hampshire Trust Bank managing director of development finance Neil Leitch described the housing starts data as “encouraging” but questioned how long momentum could last.

“The planning system is still a real bottleneck,” said Neil. “Local authorities are stretched, and developers - particularly SMEs - are waiting too long for decisions. For smaller housebuilders trying to keep sites moving, those delays can be critical.

"We need to look at the whole delivery chain. Planning, funding, and the wider infrastructure need to support each other if we’re going to make consistent progress. Starts matter, but completions matter more.

“It’s not just about how many get underway. It’s about how many reach the finish line, and how reliably we can keep that pipeline moving."