<p><span>Bellway has seen its profits recover, with completions up <span>35% and heading towards 2019 levels. It is also targeting “ambitious future growth” of between 16,000 and 18,000 homes over “several years”.</span></span></p><p><span>Reporting on the year ending July 31 2021, the housebuilder said its revenue rose 40.3% against 202</span><span>0</span><span> to £3,122.5 million, only </span><span>2.8%</span><span> </span><span>below the “record level” of 2019. Pre-tax profit rose 102.4% to £479 million, although still down on 2019’s £662.6 million.</span></p><p><span>The revenue growth was largely driven by the volume recovery, with housing completions totalling 10,138, up from 2020’s 7,522 and against 2019’s 10,892. </span></p><p><span>The homes’ average selling price rose 4.6% against 2020 to £306,479. This is expected to lower in the year ending July 2022 to around £295,000, reflecting product mix changes.</span></p><p><span>Bellway said it had seen good underlying demand across the country during its financial year, with the business achieving a private reservation rate of 169 per week, up 19.9% against last year and increasing 5.6% on 2019.</span></p><p><span>Bellway’s early re-entry into the land market during the pandemic resulted in a “record” 19,819 plots</span> contracted against last year’s 12,124 plots and 2019’s 13,284.</p><p><span>The company’s year end forward order book was “substantial”, consisting of 7,082 homes (2020 - 6,588 homes, 2019 …