Detached houses made up the largest proportion of new home registrations in the UK, as demand for more space jumped, according to the National House Building Council.It found that 36% of new homes registered to be built were detached, in its third-quarter new homes statistics review.This compares with 28% in the same period a year ago, which makes these types of homes their most popular since the second quarter of 2002.The body says its data “shows a significant shift away from apartments”, which made up just 13% of new home registrations in the period, tumbling by more than half from 29% a year ago.Registrations are new plots or homes designated to be built in the coming months or weeks by builders.Total new home registrations were up by 14% to 33,779 in the period, the review found, with 10 out of 12 UK regions posting increases in new home registrations.

The highest rises were in the East Midlands, which more than doubled to 103%, the North East, 86%, and Yorkshire & Humberside, 63%.

The two regions that fell were London, which plummeted by 78% where a large number of flats are built, and South West, which slipped by 1%.

New home completions fell by 5% to 31,908 in the third quarter of the year, which saw building work hampered by lockdown restrictions and shortages, as well as sharp rises in costs for labour and raw materials.

NHBC chief executive Steve Wood says: “With new home registrations up by a healthy 14%, the market remains buoyant.

“There is confidence in new homes despite the significant supply-chain disruption presently being experienced.

“Housebuilders are responding swiftly to shifts in consumer demand for detached houses that offer more space.

“The move away from apartment blocks is affecting London but this is only one quarter’s data.”