THE number of homes being built in the South West has declined sharply, with only 1,800 started in the last three months, a drop of 55 per cent compared to the same period last year.

THE number of homes being built in the South West has declined sharply, with only 1,800 started in the last three months, a drop of 55 per cent compared to the same period last year. The Communities and Local Government House Building figures, released today, show Government is falling behind in meeting its ambitious house building target of three million new homes by 2020. The South West currently has a target to deliver 29,623 homes per year of which at least 10,000 per year will be affordable homes. Shelter chief executive Adam Sampson said: "These figures show Government is still not doing any where near enough to kick start the flagging house building industry and get Britain building again. "House building starts are severely declining at a time when more and more people in the South West are in desperate need of a decent home." Mr Sampson warned: "If the Government continues to sit back and watch the house building industry completely stall, the effect on our economy, the house building industry and the lives of people who need a home, will be devastating. He added: "With figures out this week predicted to show that repossessions are unabated and the number of households trapped on housing waiting lists has jumped to 161,350 in the South West, there can be no question there is an urgent need to build more homes. "Ministers must take immediate action and make a major investment in social housing now before the consequences of our failure to build are too great to ever recover from.