Leeds sees fall in house building

The city and its neighbouring councils have seen homes built at an average of 4,886 a year over the last decade.

That compares to 5,233 a year in the 1980s, a fall of seven per cent. In contrast, the number of homes being built in London over the same period has risen by more than a quarter.

The figures have been produced by Homes for the North, a new umbrella group bringing together the UK’s biggest housing associations to make the case for more action to ensure people can access affordable homes in the north of England.

It is arguing that Chancellor George Osborne’s ‘northern powerhouse’ vision to grow the economy of the North of England will be hard to achieve without a significant increase in house-building.

Homes for the North chairman Mark Henderson said: “For the Northern Powerhouse to become a reality, we need more good quality homes to support and attract a modern, growing workforce.

“Today’s research shows how northern city regions have struggled to keep up with the same level of housebuilding as in the 1980s.

“This is in stark contrast to London, which has seen a surge in its population over the past 30 years with the boom in the services sector.”

New figures from the the National House Building Council show a 13 per cent fall in the number of new homes registered in Yorkshire last year despite the biggest national rise in the number of new properties for almost a decade.

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said the Government was committed to the “boldest plan for housing by any government since the 1970s”.