Despite the recession, a new total of 166,570 homes were built in England in 2008-9, only 20% less than the previous year.
DCLG has issued the figures which show new build completions down 42,700 to 157,600 and decreases in every region except Greater London, which actually saw an increase.
The figures show the Government is way off its 240,000 net completions target by 2016, but house building is not much below the 186,000 figure for 2005-6 at the height of the boom and still running at 2003-4 levels, although this was exceeded in 2006-7 (198,770) and 2007-8 (207,370) on the back of policies to release land.
