Staggering nine in 10 local authorities failed to build a single council house last year, analysis of official figures shows.

Despite more than a million families on waiting lists, no region in England saw an increase from 2021.

The South-East recorded the biggest drop – at 92 percent – according to examination of data from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

In 2021, the region saw a total of 1,860 homes built – but a year later this dropped to just 150.

Wiltshire is the local authority with the largest cut as construction fell 86 percent between 2021 and last year.

As many as five locations in England did not complete a single social home last year, including the City of London.

Around 340,000 new homes need to be built each year, of which 145,000 should be affordable, according to the National Housing Federation and housing charity Crisis,

The Government committed to building at least 300,000 a year in its 2019 election manifesto.

But last year, 29,000 council houses were sold or demolished, and less than 7,000 were built, according to homelessness charity Shelter.

A Local Government Association spokesperson said: “The building of affordable homes must be prioritised. Councils should be given the powers and resources to build 100,000 social homes a year to address the national shortage.”

And Andrew Carter, chief executive of the Centre for Cities, said: “If the Government is to clear its backlog of unbuilt homes, it must first deliver planning reform. Failure to do this will only continue to limit England’s housebuilding potential.”

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