<p>Government housing policy, while helpful outside London, has had a negative effect on the capital meaning that London will fall well short of its targets for new homes according to the Berkeley Group.</p> <p>In a trading statement for the period May to August issued today, the firm confirmed that since reporting its full year results in June there was a hiatus around the referendum before August returned to "the relative levels reported for the first five months of the year" - approximately 20% down on August 2015.</p> <p>The firm reported that site visitor numbers and enquiries had been at similar levels to the same period last year but that "customers are taking longer to commit". Prices are resilient with reservation cancellation rates normal following a temporary and expected increase after the EU vote.</p> <p>Berkeley said it has been "selective" in the land market in the period acquiring just two sites.</p> <p>"What is increasingly clear is that government policy, which has been helpful outside London, has had a negative effect on the capital," Berkeley said. "Transaction taxes are now too high and this is restricting both mobility in the second hand market and the pace of supply and delivery of new …