Latest ONS construction figures show fall in private housing output

ONS construction data for the three months to February show private housing output fell again, the latest sign that new-build supply is slowing. Builders have pointed to weaker demand, planning delays and higher materials costs. Less new stock coming through tends to support prices in areas where supply is already tight, and it makes the government's housebuilding targets harder to hit. The effect on most buyers and sellers is small in the short term.