Bellway is the latest housebuilder to call on the government to cut stamp duty to boost the housing market.

Bellway chief executive Jason Honeyman asked for ‘an immediate reduction’ in the tax ‘to ease affordability constraints and stimulate demand’.

The prime minister has already said stamp duty would be unchanged in the upcoming Autumn Budget.

The Bellway chief executive also asked the government to set up a deposit support scheme for first-time buyers, to help deliver more new housing.

The housebuilder’s trading update today said the firm now expects annual underlying operating profit of £320 million, the lower end of its forecasts, at its full-year results in October.

Bellway also today warned of near-term uncertainty as a “prolonged period of softer customer demand” came at the same time as inflated building costs.

The housebuilder said it had growth in total housing completions of 10.8% to 9,695 homes in the year to 31 July 2026, compared to 8,749 in the same period of 2025.

The firm said it had “continued with a disciplined approach to land acquisition” and was contracted to buy 8,578 owned and controlled plots during the year, a slight increase from 8,120 plots in 2025.