Construction residential

Here’s where house builders have taken their foot off the gas since 2015

Katie Court
Authored by Katie Court
Posted: Monday, April 12, 2021 - 09:12

The latest new-build property market insight from the sector experts, BuildScan, has revealed which areas of the nation have seen housebuilders take their foot off the gas in the last five years where housing delivery is concerned. 

BuildScan’s analysis of housing delivery over the last five years shows that 792,890 new homes have been built across England since 2015, with new housing stock increasing at a rate of six per cent a year on average.

Largest annual rate of housing delivery

The South East is home to the top three areas to have enjoyed the largest average increase in new build delivery during this time. Adur has seen a 286% average annual increase in new homes delivered since 2015, with Gravesham (220%) and Sevenoaks (188%) also enjoying a big boost to housing stock levels.

Harrow has seen the largest boost in London, with an average increase of 175% a year since 2015. Tamworth (88%) and Newcastle-under-Lyme rank within the top 10 for the Midlands, with Craven (82%), Liverpool (69%) and Manchester (68%) flying the flag for the North.

Worst locations for housing delivery

Unfortunately, housebuilders haven’t delivered on all fronts when it comes to new-build housing stock. The London Borough of Bexley has seen the number of new-build homes delivered decline at an annual rate of -35% on average over the last five years. 

Hounslow (-29%) and Haringey (-28%) also rank within the top 10 worst areas, along with nearby Basildon (-23%)

Hinckley and Bosworth (-30%) has seen the second-largest decline overall and the worst performance in the Midlands, joined regionally by Blaby (-19%).

Spelthorne (-21%), Somerset West and Taunton (-20%), Welwyn Hatfield (-18%) and Brighton and Hove (-16%) also sit within the top 10 worst areas for new build delivery in the last five years. 

Interestingly, no areas of the North rank within the top 10. 

Founder and Managing Director of BuildScan, Harry Yates, commented:

“Housing delivery is a tricky subject and while on the one hand, we’re in desperate need of more housing, developers will argue that demand, availability of land and cost restricts them from building more homes in a given area.

In this respect, new build stock levels are going to differ drastically from one area to the next and so a large degree of fluctuation is expected in terms of the actual volume of homes being built. 

Although in many instances the shortfall is planning related, it's fair to say that over the last five years housebuilders have certainly taken their foot off the gas in some areas and the result has been a pretty consistent freefall in stock delivery.”

Data sourced from Gov.uk - Live tables on housing supply: indicators of new supply

Table shows the best and worst areas for new build delivery based on the average annual increase or decrease in new build completions over the last five years

Location

Region

Dwellings completed 2015-16

Dwellings completed 2016-17

Dwellings completed 2017-18

Dwellings completed 2018-19

Dwellings completed 2019-20

Total Stock Delivered

Average Annual Change

Largest average annual increase in new housing since 2015

Adur

SOUTH EAST

40

10

150

30

0

241

286%

Gravesham

SOUTH EAST

50

30

180

1,080

200

1,549

220%

Sevenoaks

SOUTH EAST

60

120

240

190

1,280

1,898

188%

Harrow

LONDON

580

130

1,200

710

680

3,307

175%

Tamworth

WEST MIDLANDS

50

120

270

350

550

1,344

88%

Craven

YORKSHIRE AND THE HUMBER

140

90

30

140

230

633

82%

Rushmoor

SOUTH EAST

170

330

130

200

600

1,433

72%

Newcastle-under-Lyme

WEST MIDLANDS

110

190

160

120

420

1,003

70%

Liverpool

NORTH WEST

350

760

350

1,220

780

3,463

69%

Manchester

NORTH WEST

710

370

690

2,350

2,200

6,323

68%

Largest average annual decrease in new housing since 2015

Bexley

LONDON

640

330

240

210

100

1,519

-35%

Hinckley and Bosworth

EAST MIDLANDS

990

870

530

360

230

2,979

-30%

Hounslow

LONDON

880

620

580

410

200

2,689

-29%

Haringey

LONDON

710

240

140

240

60

1,389

-28%

Basildon

EAST OF ENGLAND

1,210

270

290

210

220

2,199

-23%

Spelthorne

SOUTH EAST

300

180

130

130

110

849

-21%

Somerset West and Taunton

SOUTH WEST

880

890

730

500

350

3,349

-20%

Blaby

EAST MIDLANDS

630

630

500

380

260

2,399

-19%

Welwyn Hatfield

EAST OF ENGLAND

210

160

160

190

60

779

-18%

Brighton and Hove

SOUTH EAST

230

120

130

150

90

719

-16%

England

N/A

139,710

147,520

160,910

169,500

175,250

792,890

6%

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