British surveyors report weakest private housing growth in nearly 3 years

Construction of private homes slowed sharply in the first three months of 2016, reflecting planning delays and possibly uncertainty linked to Britain's upcoming referendum on European Union membership, a survey showed on Wednesday. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said its members reported the weakest growth in private housebuilding since the second quarter of 2013, and that considerably fewer expected growth over the next 12 months than a year ago.
A separate survey by financial data firm Markit showed the weakest housebuilding in three years in March earlier this month, contrasting sharply with more upbeat official numbers.
Britain's government has launched a series of measures to boost construction and private home ownership and wants to build 200,000 homes for first-time buyers aged under 40 by 2020.