HOUSE building has got off to its best start to the year since 2007 with most of the UK seeing strong growth, an industry body has reported.

The National House Building Council (NHBC) said that 40,281 new homes were registered between January and March, marking the highest total for the first three months of the year since 53,420 new registrations were recorded in early 2007.

The "encouraging" figures seen so far for 2015 also represent an 18 per cent increase when compared with the first three months of 2014, the NHBC said.

In Scotland, there were 3,189 houses built in the first three months of 2015, up 15 per cent from the previous year.

The NHBC's registration figures are taken from builders who are responsible for around 80 per cent of homes constructed in the UK. Builders are required to register a house with the NHBC before starting work, which means its figures represent homes that are to be built in the months ahead.

Malcolm MacLeod, NHBC director, Scotland, said: "After a difficult few years, the sector is beginning to show some considerable improvement."

The UK-wide figures also show that detached homes are continuing to make a comeback. More than one quarter (26 per cent) of new homes registered in the first three months of 2015 were detached, equalling the percentage seen across 2014. The proportion of homes being built that were detached fell to a recent low of 15 per cent in 2008.

The bulk of new-build homes being registered are flats and maisonettes, accounting for 31 per cent of properties.

NHBC chief executive Mike Quinton said: "Housing growth levels remain strong across virtually every part of the UK.

"However, we have made clear that the UK is still building way below the volumes of homes that we need."

Northern Ireland, the South East of England and Eastern England saw particularly strong growth in house building in the first three months of 2015 compared with early 2014.

Eastern England saw a 70 per cent upswing in new registrations, while Northern Ireland saw a 42 per cent increase. In the South East, new registrations grew by 47 per cent year-on-year in the first three months of 2015.

But some regions saw falls compared with a year ago. In London, 5,622 new homes were registered between January and March, marking a 29 per cent fall compared with the same period a year earlier.