Reacting to today’s quarterly house building statistics announcement by CLG, the Homes Builders Federations’ Director of Economic Affairs John Stewart said; “The figures provide further support for the more positive housing market reports we have seen in recent weeks, and show that home building industry confidence is gradually improving. However whilst the rises in housing starts and completions are encouraging, if any recovery is to be sustainable we will need to see the banks return to more sensible levels of mortgage lending so that people realise their ambitions of home ownership. The Government also needs to address continuing shortages of permissioned land, and the cost impact of regulation and policy on development viability, both major barriers to a sustained recovery in house building.” - Ends – For media enquiries contact Steve Turner on 07919 307 760 or steve.turner@hbf.co.uk Notes to Editors: 1. The Home Builders Federation (HBF) is the principal representative body for private sector home builders and voice of the home building industry in England and Wales. The HBF’s 300 member firms account for some 80% of all new homes built in England and Wales in any one year, and include companies of all sizes, ranging from multi-national, household names through regionally based businesses to small local companies: www.hbf.co.uk 2. Today’s figures show; that there were an estimated 29,980 seasonally adjusted housing starts in England in the June quarter 2009, up 63 per cent on the previous quarter but nine per cent lower than the June quarter 2008. This is the second successive quarterly rise in seasonally adjusted housing starts. 3. For full details go to; http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/housebuildingq22009
