Housing completions in England fell by -17% in 2009 to the lowest total since 1946 with just 118,000 homes built, according to figures released by the Government.

A spokesperson from the House Builders Federation, told PIN: "There are two key constraints to housing provision. In the short term housing supply is being constrained largely by a lack of mortgage availability. Builders can only build if there is a market, and until we see some sensible levels of lending return supply will be impacted. Private housing and affordable housing delivery is now so inextricably linked both are being reduced by the lack of mortgage availability.

"In the longer terms we need to sort out the issue of land. Simply speaking, not enough land is coming through the planning system for the homes we need to build. We need to be supplying more developable land in places where people want to live."

In 2007, Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced plans to build two million new homes by 2016, the equivalent of 240,000 a year, however the peak number of homes built was 168,140 in the year to March 2008.

A spokesperson for the DCLG, said: “Today’s statistics show that these are still tough times for the building industry, and that Government support is as important as ever,

“That’s why we are investing £7.5bn in housing this year and next year to kick-start stalled developments, safeguard construction jobs and help deliver the new homes this country needs.”