Completions and social housing sales rise in Wales
House building completions in Wales increased 3 per cent during the first quarter of 2013 while the number of housing starts in the country remained stable, according to official statistics.
Data released yesterday by the Welsh Government showed that 1,138 homes were completed in the three months to the end of March, compared to 1,105 homes in the same period of the previous year.
The number of completions by housing associations increased significantly, with 218 dwellings completed, up 65 per cent on the 132 dwellings from the same quarter last year.
The private sector was responsible for 81 per cent of all new dwellings completed in the period, with social landlords responsible for the remaining 19 per cent. There were no new dwellings completed by local authorities during the quarter, the Welsh Government said.
Starts for all homes in the first quarter of 2013 was 1,328, compared to 1,325 in the same period a year ago.
Separate figures from the Welsh Government showed social housing sales increased by 3 per cent on the year in 2012/13, with local authority sales up 24 per cent and the sale of housing association dwellings down by 2 per cent.
The data, also released yesterday, showed that a total of 426 socially rented homes were transferred into the private sector during the 12 months to the end of March, through the sale of 104 local authority dwellings and 322 housing association homes, via right to buy and other schemes.
