London recorded 16,290 new-build housing starts in the year to June 2026, up 298% on the previous year, according to government figures published on 24 September. Building-control-reported completions increased by 9% to 18,050 homes. Both London figures cover 12 months. They appear alongside a government warning that higher starts nationally partly reflect increased reporting through the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). The release does not establish how much of London's increase is attributable to that contribution.
The London total covers a year
MHCLG's regional table records the London totals for the year ending 30 June 2026. The national headline of 35,910 starts covers April to June alone and is seasonally adjusted.
| Measure | Period | Dwellings | Annual change |
|---|---|---|---|
| London starts | Year to June 2026 | 16,290 | +298% |
| London completions | Year to June 2026 | 18,050 | +9% |
| England starts, seasonally adjusted | April–June 2026 | 35,910 | +20% |
Comparing the two starts totals directly would mix an annual regional measure with a quarterly national series. Neither total measures construction spending, labour demand or the number of individual sites operating across London.
What the BSR caveat actually says
BSR reported 5,758 dwelling starts nationally in the second quarter, following 7,089 in the final quarter of 2025 and 6,276 in the first quarter of 2026. MHCLG says these contributions partly explain the higher national totals. The department's technical notes also establish that BSR data first entered this statistical series in the October–December 2024 release, with earlier quarters revised. Its inclusion therefore predates the latest announcement.
That distinction rules out describing September's release as the first arrival of BSR data. It also leaves a separate question unanswered: how much of London's annual increase reflects additional physical starts, reporting timing or revisions? The published explanation does not quantify those contributions for the capital. Calling the increase an administrative illusion would go beyond the evidence. Equally, presenting 298% as proof that physical construction activity quadrupled across London would give a dwelling-count measure more meaning than it can support.
One block can account for many housing starts
MHCLG counts a dwelling as started when work begins on laying its foundation, excluding site preparation. When work begins on a block of flats, all dwellings in that block are counted as started. Consequently, BSR's 5,758 starts represent housing units, not 5,758 separate developments. The counting rule also explains why the movement in dwelling starts cannot be read as an equivalent movement in the number of construction sites.
Gateway 2 approval is another distinct event. BSR's building-control guidance requires approval before relevant higher-risk building work begins. For staged applications, the work covered by each stage must receive approval before it starts. An approval therefore establishes regulatory permission for the relevant work; evidence of a physical start is still needed. LCM's Gateway 2 Approval Index tracks approval performance separately from reported project commencements.
What contractors can take from the figures
Starts and completions recorded in the same year are not necessarily the same homes. MHCLG notes that construction can take months or years, and some started dwellings may never be completed. The difference between London's two growth rates cannot, by itself, establish a completion delay. For contractors assessing future work, the useful follow-up is to identify the developments behind the aggregate: their current stage, appointed delivery team and remaining packages. LCM's London Planning Pipeline 2027–2030 examines those project-level distinctions, including the steps between consent and a deliverable construction programme. MHCLG expects its next quarterly housing-supply release in December 2026, provisionally. That update will provide the next opportunity to assess whether the increase in reported starts is sustained.
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Expert Verification & Authorship: Mihai Chelmus
Founder, London Construction Magazine | Construction Testing & Investigation Specialist |
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