Housing starts and completions
Key points for 2025/26
- In the Lancashire-12 area there were 2,720 starts in housing construction and 3,430 completions.
- 88.97% of these starts and 79.0% of the completions were in the private sector.
- Compared to the previous year, in Lancashire-12 the number of starts decreased by 27.5% and the number of completions decreased by 16.7%.
- In the Lancashire-14 area 3,490 houses were started and 4,130 were completed.
- The private sector accounted for 84.8% of these starts and 79.2% of the completions.
Summary
Nationally, there was a noticeable increase in housing construction starts for England, up from 112,880 in 2024/25 to 130,170 in 2025/26. In total 76.1% of the national figure was allocated to the private sector in the 2025/26 financial year. In the Lancashire-12 area there was a fall in construction starts from 3,750 to the latest total of 2,720, of which 88.97% were in the private sector. In Lancashire-14, the private-sector accounted for 84.8% of the 3,490 starts.
In the Lancashire-12 area Preston had the highest number (540) of starts in 2025/26, having most starts for some years apart from 2024/5 when Wyre may have edged this. Wyre was now clearly second with 510. In joint third place Chorley and South Ribble both had 330 starts. All other districts in the Lancashire-12 area had fewer than 300 dwellings started. Rossendale had least with 20. In the wider Lancashire-14 area there were 670 starts in Blackburn with Darwen, 70.2% of which were in the private sector. This places Blackburn with Daren highest in the whole Lancashire-14 area and the number of starts was 230 more than in 2024/25.
The latest figure of 143,110 housing completions in England constitutes a small fall from the 2024/25 total of 152,040. Preston and Wyre were around as close for the number of completions in 2025/26 (580 and 570) as they were for starts in the previous year (640 and 650). The total 4,130 completions in the Lancashire-14 area were 15.0% fewer than in 2024/25, but Blackburn with Darwen was again highest overall with 610 completions.
Table 1: Dwellings started and completed, 2025/26
| Area | Dwellings started | % private enterprise | Dwellings completed | % private enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burnley | 130 | 100.0 | 150 | 100.0 |
| Chorley | 330 | 78.8 | 420 | 64.3 |
| Fylde | 260 | 96.2 | 250 | 100.0 |
| Hyndburn | 90 | 100.0 | 130 | 69.2 |
| Lancaster | 130 | 100.0 | 160 | 100.0 |
| Pendle | 160 | 93.8 | 140 | 85.7 |
| Preston | 540 | 88.9 | 580 | 89.7 |
| Ribble Valley | 90 | 66.7 | 230 | 69.6 |
| Rossendale | 20 | 100.0 | 30 | 100.0 |
| South Ribble | 330 | 81.8 | 520 | 71.2 |
| West Lancashire | 120 | 91.7 | 260 | 88.5 |
| Wyre | 510 | 90.2 | 570 | 64.9 |
| Lancashire-12 | 2,720 | 89.0 | 3,430 | 79.0 |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 670 | 70.2 | 610 | 78.7 |
| Blackpool | 100 | 70.0 | 90 | 88.9 |
| Lancashire-14 | 3,490 | 84.8 | 4,130 | 79.2 |
| England | 130,170 | 76.1 | 143,110 | 73.0 |
Source: GOV.UK; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; Live Table 253
Private enterprise accounts for most construction starts and 100% of the totals in four Lancashire authorities in 2025/26. 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 23.1% of the national starts total in 2025/26, with just 0.8% allocated to local authorities. Housing Association (HA) starts were lower in the Lancashire-12 area at 11.0%. The only allocations to local authority housing starts within the Lancashire-14 area were 10 in South Ribble and 20 in Blackpool, making the rate for Lancashire-14 around 0.86%.
Page updated June 2026.