<p>Pre-tax profit at Bellway has risen 70% year on year according to the firm's interim results for the six months to January 31.</p> <p>Profit hit £40.6 million for the period on turnover of £458.6 million, up from £407.9 million in the same months last year.</p> <p>As with the other major builders, Bellway is seeing good activity on its sites at present. Chairman Howard Dawe said: "Whilst uncertainties in the wider economy and the threat of unemployment continue, there remains an underlying demand for our homes and, as a consequence, visitor levels since the start of the calendar year have followed their usual upward trend."</p>