Housing starts and completions
Key points for 2023/24
- In the Lancashire-12 area there were 3,570 starts in housing construction and 4,500 completions.
- 87.4% of these starts and 83.1% of the completions were in the private sector.
- In the Lancashire-14 area 4,550 houses were started and 5,120 were completed.
- The private sector accounted for 88.6% of these starts and 83.8% of the completions.
Summary
Nationally, there was a small decrease in housing construction starts for England, down from 176,510 in 2022/23 to 135,860 in 2023/24. In total 74.8% of the national figure was allocated to the private sector in the 2023/24 financial year. In the Lancashire-12 area, 87.4% of the 3,570 starts were in the private sector, whilst in Lancashire-14, the private-sector accounted for 88.6% of the 4,550 starts.
In the Lancashire-12 area once again Preston had the highest number (620) of starts in 2023/24, following two years when there were in excess of 1,000 starts. In second place West Lancashire had 530 starts. All other districts in the Lancashire-12 area had fewer than 500 dwellings started. Rossendale had least with 60 and Pendle had 70. In the wider Lancashire-14 area there were 830 starts in Blackburn with Darwen, all of which were in the private sector.
The latest figure of 160,390 housing completions in England constitutes a small fall from the 2022/23 total of 174,840. As Preston had over a thousand starts in preceding years the high of 1,060 completions in 2023/24 is not surprising. The total 4,500 completions in the Lancashire-12 area were 8.9% fewer than in 2021/22.
Table 1: Dwellings started and completed, 2023/24
| Area | Dwellings started | % private enterprise | Dwellings completed | % private enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burnley | 170 | 82.4 | 130 | 100.0 |
| Chorley | 430 | 97.7 | 400 | 100.0 |
| Fylde | 210 | 95.2 | 300 | 86.7 |
| Hyndburn | 100 | 50.0 | 140 | 78.6 |
| Lancaster | 300 | 100.0 | 150 | 93.3 |
| Pendle | 70 | 100.0 | 240 | 70.8 |
| Preston | 620 | 95.2 | 1,060 | 90.6 |
| Ribble Valley | 280 | 85.7 | 370 | 81.1 |
| Rossendale | 60 | 83.3 | 130 | 61.5 |
| South Ribble | 440 | 70.5 | 590 | 79.7 |
| West Lancashire | 530 | 86.8 | 370 | 73.0 |
| Wyre | 380 | 76.3 | 620 | 72.6 |
| Lancashire-12 | 3,570 | 87.4 | 4,500 | 83.1 |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 830 | 100.0 | 480 | 100.0 |
| Blackpool | 150 | 53.3 | 140 | 50.0 |
| Lancashire-14 | 4,550 | 88.6 | 5,120 | 83.8 |
| England | 135,860 | 74.8 | 160,390 | 76.2 |
Source: GOV.UK; Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities; Live Table 253
Private enterprise accounts for most construction starts and 100% of the totals in three Lancashire authorities in 2023/24. However this may represent an under-estimation of the activity of registered social landlords. Starts in particular may be recorded as being commenced by the private sector, but elements of the development relating to section 106 agreements for affordable housing might only be transferred out of private enterprise towards the end of site construction.
Housing Associations accounted for 22.9% of the national starts total in 2023/24, with just 2.3% allocated to local authorities. Housing Association starts were much lower in the Lancashire-12 area at 12.9%. The only allocations to local authority housing starts within the Lancashire-14 area were the 70 in Blackpool, making the rate for Lancashire-14 around 1.5%.
Page updated June 2025.