New home registrations rates in the past three months are running 15% behind last year, according to the latest NHBC statistics.
New home registrations in February-April were down to 26,035 from 30,649 a year earlier.
Public sector registrations bore the brunt of the reverse –dipping 49% to 5,867 (2011: 11,521), while the private sector showed a 5% improvement to 20,168 (2011: 19,128).
The comparison against last year is affected by the registration of approximately 2,800 London Olympic Village properties. Taking these units out of the equation, private sector registrations in the UK rose by 14% overall, with almost all the English regions experiencing some growth.
“Despite seeing modest, but sustainable and widespread growth in private housing, the large drop-off in social housing registrations mean that overall volumes have fallen compared with the same period last year,” said Richard Tamayo, NHBC commercial director.
The north of England and Midlands mostly saw improving rates of construction, with the eastern, southwest, south-east and Greater London regions posting declines.
