Banwell, a quaint village in Somerset with just over 3,000 residents, has earned the title of the UK’s ‘new build capital’ according to recent research by the Alan Boswell Group. Amid ongoing national efforts to address the housing shortage, the village stands out as a leading example of new home construction success.
The current Labour Government pledged to build 1.5 million new homes by 2029. However, with only around 200,000 homes completed since their election, the progress has fallen short of the annual targets by roughly 100,000 homes.
Buy-to-let insurance experts at Alan Boswell Group analyzed housing data from across the UK to identify areas with the highest concentration of new builds. Banwell took the lead in 2023-24 with 180 new build property sales, accounting for more than 65% of all house transactions — the highest proportion recorded nationwide.
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Despite Banwell’s deep historical roots dating back to the Bronze Age and its small size, the village saw a total of 275 housing transactions in the past year, highlighting a growing appetite for modern living spaces in rural communities.
Trailing behind Banwell, Swanscombe in Kent secured second place with a notable spike in new build activity, while the medieval town of Arundel ranked third, with new builds making up 46.87% of its housing market.
Heath Alexander-Bew from Alan Boswell Group remarked, “For families and first-time buyers, these towns offer an excellent chance to purchase energy-efficient, contemporary homes within thriving communities. The rising demand for detached properties — which have grown from 25% to 32% of sales in the last decade — illustrates a clear preference for more spacious housing. Among new builds between 2023 and 2025, detached homes accounted for nearly 14%, maintaining their strong appeal.”
Banwell’s status as the UK’s new build capital shines a light on how targeted development in smaller communities can contribute meaningfully to the national housing strategy.