House building figures plummet to a new low

The number of homes being built in Britain is at its lowest in 20 years, National House Building Council figures show.

Just 101,000 new homes will be registered this calendar year – 92,000 less than last year.

And in the 12 months to the end of March, only 85,000 homes will be built.

Shadow housing minister Grant Shapps told the Daily Telegraph the dire statistics indicated the government’s target to build 3m new homes by 2020 was a “complete con”.

To reach that figure, 240,000 homes would have to be built a year.