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The number of houses being built in the UK is not even close to the real needs of the housing market, claimed an expert.

Difficulty in securing mortgages, coupled with other factors such as proposed government budget cuts are likely to that their toll on the housing market, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

Brian Berry, director of external affairs at the FMB, said demand from first-time buyers was declining.

He said: "The prospects aren't looking good for the next year or so partly because of the cuts in the government spending projects and also because people find it very difficult to secure a mortgage to get on the housing ladder."

On top of this, the coalition government's decision to allow local communities to decide whether or not they want a particular housing project go ahead could further hamper development, he added.

His comments follow in the wake of recent findings published by Barratt Developments, which revealed that there had been a drop in the number of housing projects that were completed.