Housebuilding activity in the Greater West of England

28 Jul 2026

This data insight describes housebuilding activity across the Greater West of England region, comprising Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Gloucestershire, Swindon and Wiltshire. The data include housing starts, completions, and the relationship between the two.

It examines the ratio of housing starts to completions over time, comparing trends in the Greater West of England local authority areas to national benchmarks for England and England excluding London, to provide context.

A ratio greater than 1 (>1) indicates more houses were started than completed. A ratio less than 1 (<1) indicates fewer houses were started than completed. A ratio equal to 1 (=1) means starts equalled completions.

“Starts” refers to construction beginning in the year. “Completion” refers to houses finished during the year, which may have started construction in previous years.

The analysis also explores housebuilding starts by tenure in 2025/26, highlighting the relative contribution of private enterprise, housing associations and local authorities across the Greater West of England.

The indicators are derived from official housebuilding statistics on permanent dwellings started and completed, aggregated at local authority level and consistently compiled across years. Data are collected annually through local authority building control records and returns and have been processed to calculate ratios and tenure shares to support comparison across areas over time.

All figures are presented on a consistent basis to ensure comparability between local, regional and national trends.

1.16

England's ratio of starts-to-completions in 2014-15 compared to the Greater West of England (1.10)

0.79

Greater West of England recorded its lowest starts-to-completion ratio in 2023-24

10,360

Housebuilding completions across the Greater West of England peaked in 2018-19

87.88%

Private enterprise accounted for the highest proportion of housing starts in Bristol

Housebuilding, ratio of starts to completions, Greater West of England local authority areas, national comparisons, 2014 onwards

This visualisation shows how the ratio of housing starts to completions changed over time in the Greater West of England, England and England excluding London between 2014-15 and 2023-24.

In the mid-2010s, the ratio is above 1 in the three regions, indicating more homes were started than completed. The ratio peaks in 2016-17, at 1.13 in the Greater West of England, 1.15 in England excluding London and 1.1 in England.

From 2016-17, the ratio declines in the three regions, reaching a low point in 2019-20 when the Greater West of England is 0.90, England is 0.85 and England excluding London is 0.89.

A partial recovery is visible in 2020-21 and 2021-22, with England briefly returning above parity at 1.02 in 2021-22 while the Greater West of England remains just below at 0.99.

In the most recent year, 2023-24, all regions record ratios below 1.0, with the Greater West of England at 0.79, England at 0.88, and England excluding London at 0.87, indicating fewer starts relative to completions.

Housebuilding starts and completions, Greater West of England by local authority area, 2016-17 to 2025-26

This visualisation shows how the number of permanent dwellings started and completed changed over time in the Greater West of England between 2016-17 and 2025-26. This highlights the differences in scale and timing between areas.

In all years, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire consistently record the highest volumes, with housebuilding completions peaking at 10,360 dwellings in 2018-19 before falling in later years.

South Gloucestershire recorded lower completions than Wiltshire and Gloucestershire in most years. Bristol starts ranged from 530 in 2018-19 to 2,640 in 2025-26.

Bath and North East Somerset and North Somerset consistently account for the lowest annual totals, remaining below 1,500 dwellings per year throughout the period.

Housebuilding, starts by tenure (%), Greater West of England local authority areas, 2025/26

This visualisation shows the percentage distribution of permanent dwellings started in the Greater West of England in 2025/26. The data are analysed by tenure. Tenure refers to the financial arrangement and ownership structure under which someone has the right to live in a house or apartment. Data for England and England excluding London is also included for context.

In all areas, private enterprise accounts for most of the housing starts, ranging from 49.52% in Wiltshire to 87.88% in Bristol.

Greater West of England has a lower reliance on private enterprise (67.73%) compared to England (76.1%) and England excluding London (74.28%), with a higher contribution from housing associations (30.37%).

Housing association dwellings accounted for the highest shares of starts in Tewkesbury (49.54%) and Wiltshire (43.81%), both exceeding both national benchmarks.

Local authority-led starts are low, accounting for under 5% in all three regions and 0% in all Greater West of England local authorities, excluding Bristol, Gloucestershire, Stroud and Wiltshire.

Wiltshire shows the most mixed delivery profile with 49.52% private enterprise, 43.81% housing associations, and the highest share of local authority-led dwellings (7.14%) in the Greater West of England.