According to the latest national statistics on housebuilding, released by the Department for Communities and Local Government, the number of houses whose building has begun, or housing starts, reached 98,250 in the 12 months to December 2011, which represents a 4% decrease in the starts shown on the year to December 2010.
Housing completions have increased by 6% from 2010 to 2011, with annual housing completions in England totalling 109,020 in the 12 months to December 2011.
The statistics show that whilst England is still starting 46% fewer house building projects than in the peak of 2006, housing starts are still up by 44% compared to a low point in 2009.
In the 12 months ending with the year of December 2002 there were 150,700 housing starts, which increased to a peak of 183,360 housing starts in the 12 months ending in March 2006.
Although housing starts fell sharply to 58,280 in the 12 months to June 2009, they recovered in the years on 2010 and 2011, reaching 103,740 starts in 2010 and slightly less, at 98,250, in 2011.
Annual completions are below the 2007 peak, at 175,560, and have declined to 109,020 in the 12 months to December 2011. This represents a 38% drop from 2007 levels.
