LONDON, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- British Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Robert Jenrick said Thursday that due to the coronavirus pandemic, the number of new housing starts in the country could decline by 40 percent in 2020, according to media reports.
"As a result of the pandemic, the number of starts this year will be well down on 240,000 ... it could be as much as 30 or 40 percent less than that," Jenrick told Sky News.
The minister made the remarks as the British government outlined plans to reform the country's planning regime to accelerate homebuilding.
"We'll have to see how quickly the economy can bounce back," he added, noting that the years 2020 and 2021 will be "challenging" for the industry. Enditem
