Consultation outcome

House building statistics proposed changes: response to the consultation

Updated 30 September 2020

Between 26 March 2020 and 26 May 2020, users of the House building; new build dwellings statistics, hereafter referred to as housebuilding statistics, were asked to provided comments on proposed changes to the title and contents of the statistical release. The department produces this statistical bulletin quarterly.

Alongside the quarterly house building statistics the department publishes an annual release entitled ‘Housing supply: net additional dwellings’, hereafter referred to as “net additions”. Net additions is the primary and most comprehensive measure of housing supply.

There is a long-standing difference between these two sources when comparing new build completions. This is due to the coverage of building control data which are the source for the quarterly statistics. Currently the quarterly house building statistics captures around 80% of the final number of new build completions identified in the annual net additions release (which uses a much broader range of sources to calculate new housing supply).

The proposed changes to the statistical release outlined here, including further early indicators of supply in the release, aim to take the focus of the release away from the building control data as well as to provide more commentary about the different measures and their strengths and weaknesses. More emphasis will be put on a range of sources such as Energy Performance Certificates and change in Council Tax stock to give a range of different indicators of housing supply.

Summary of responses and next steps

Twenty-two responses to the consultation were received. Twenty-one agreed to all points in principle and some supplemented these with further suggestions and comments. One response did not entirely agree with the proposed changes as the respondent felt they did not go far enough and went into more detail as to their reasoning.

Overall users agreed with the name change and the inclusion of further data sources. They were also happy to be consulted and welcomed further engagement.

The following comments and suggestions were also raised:

• The inclusion of several further sources including Glenigan residential planning permissions, GiS data, electoral roll, Community Infrastructure Levy, and Ordnance survey.
• The inclusion of an index of building control reported figures alongside numbers to emphasise the usefulness as an early indicator of trend, the figures and chart will also be included in published live tables.
• To improve the reporting of the tenure of new build dwellings as the building control totals can be misleading.
• The collection of further variables regarding Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), self-build, build to rent and house size.
• Issues arising from the non-compulsory data submissions by independent Approved Inspectors, which require further investigation and consultation.

MHCLG is committed to further investigating the use of new sources to give a better early estimate of trends in housing supply.

MHCLG already produces a separate affordable housing supply release which provides more reliable estimates of tenure and will make use of this to provide more accurate estimates in subsequent releases of this publication. A quarterly index of building control starts and completions will be included from next quarter’s release.

Therefore, in addition to these other changes, MHCLG will go ahead with the proposals outlined in the consultation:

• To include analysis of further sources such as Energy Performance Certificates, VOA Council Tax Stock of properties and Glenigan planning permissions.
• Referring to the building control data wherever it is used, rather than referring to it as housebuilding and making clear that they refer to England.
• Changing the title of the release to “Housing supply; Indicators of new supply”.
• Continue to investigate further sources and the use if these to produce a more robust early estimator housing supply.
• Continue to engage with data providers and users to continue to improve these statistics.