Mortgage approvals by the UK banks have hit a five-year high to almost 67,000 in September, amid decreasing borrowing costs, according to a data by the Bank of England.

The increasing approval for new home loans is likely to fuel the UK mortgages market, which has faced sluggish demand in recent times.

The British government initiative to Funding for Lending Scheme has also played a key role in bolstering the country’s housing market refinancing activities, which witnessed prices decline by a fifth in cash terms after the financial crisis of 2008.

According to an estimate, the number of home loan approvals increased by 5.2% to 66,735 last month, the highest since February 2008.

The demand in home loan also pushed business lending to £0.72bn in September, after falling by £3.7bn in August, although it was mainly concentrated towards larger firms.

Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) chief UK economist Jens Larsen was quoted by Reuters as saying that a further pick-up in housing market activity is in the pipeline.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Commenting on the mortgage market financing activities in the UK, Larsen told the news agency, "But we think it unlikely that this will change the Bank of England’s view that this is anything other than a gradual recovery in house prices, at least for now."