New figures released today by NHBC have revealed that private sector housing registrations in the UK had their best month for over a year this July, with 8,105 registrations. This still however leaves private sector registrations down 10% for the rolling quarter May to July 2012, compared to the same period last year (21,574 in 2012 compared with 23,996 in 2011). Public sector housing registrations remained subdued.
However, across all sectors registrations were down 21% May to July 2012 compared to the same three months last year (28,951 in 2012 compared with 36,716 in 2011), with public sector registrations continuing to decline (-42%) during the rolling quarter (7,377 in 2012 compared with 12,720 in 2011).
Commenting on the latest figures, Richard Tamayo, NHBC Commercial Director said: “July’s registration figures showed that the sector bounced back from a poor June. The sector continues to show a consistent pattern of decline compared to the same period in 2011.
“Next month’s anticipated announcement of the Coalition’s detailed plans to relax the rules that require private housebuilders to include substantial social housing in large projects will undoubtedly benefit the private sector. It may even result in some support for social housing volumes; a reduced social proportion of a viable site is better than a theoretically larger proportion on a site which is made unviable and therefore never developed at all.”
