New home registrations in the UK Have fallen back significantly and are down 24% in the second quarter of 2012 compared with the same period last year.

Figures from the National House Building Council shows that public sector registrations declined 49% compared to the same period in 2011 while private sector registrations fell by 10%.

Monthly figures for June 2012 failed to match last June’s exceptionally buoyant figures. While April and May 2012 registrations were actually marginally higher when compared to the same months in 2011.

‘As the year progresses we must hope to see a rebound in social housing numbers as providers adapt to new methods of funding. Hopefully the decline in private registrations witnessed in June will, in hindsight, prove to be a statistical blip in what will otherwise be a period of sustained, if modest, private sector volume growth throughout the year,’ said Richard Tamayo, NHBC commercial director.

In June 2012 some 8,328 new homes were registered, 43% lower than June 2011 when there were . Some 6,685 new homes were registered in the private sector, 26% down on June 2011 when it was 9.029.

During the month, 1,643 new homes were registered in the public sector compared with 5,536 in 2011, a 70% drop.

For the rolling quarter April to June 2012 the total number of registrations was 25,798, 24% down on the same period last year when it was 33,820.

The figures are a blow to the UK government which is currently introducing a number of incentives for new build homes.