■ There is potential to increase the rate of building starts from the current level of 140,500 a year to 205,000 new homes a year in England. However, to achieve this, we need more planning consents to be granted in the right places and a wider range of developers participating in housing delivery.
How many homes can we expect to be delivered and where?
GRAPH 7Housing starts: current and potential
Source: NHBC, DCLG, Savills Research
■ We expect to see the private sector continue to deliver the lion’s share of new homes with the biggest contribution coming from the 11 largest players. In total, the number of homes started by the private sector has the potential to rise to 150,000 a year in England by 2020, if planning consents can keep up with housebuilding starts in the areas of greatest demand.
■ Improved access to funding will provide medium housebuilders with greater capacity to expand their output. We estimate that this sector, which includes many regional players, has the potential to deliver 50,500 new homes a year in England by 2020.
■ The smallest housebuilders, which were hit the hardest in the economic downturn, are unlikely to return to pre-recession levels of output. However, there is potential to see a greater number delivered by the custom build and self-build sector.
■ Housing associations and local authorities have the potential to start building 45,000 homes a year in England by 2020, with housing associations delivering 35,000 a year. Much of the development from housing associations is likely to be concentrated in London and the South.
■ Across Great Britain, we estimate that the private sector could start building as many as 194,000 new homes a year by 2020, based on the current levels of registrations which stand at 144,000.