Mr Follows said: “Our group chief executive, Mike Farley, reports that we are expecting both prices and sales volumes during 2012 to remain similar to those in 2011 as the market remains stable.

“All forecasts are of course dependent on continued economic stability and in this respect our industry is no different to any other.”

Persimmon Homes North West operates in Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Flintshire, Wrexham, Powys and Shropshire from its regional office in Manchester. The company has 20 Persimmon and Charles Church locations currently in development, ranging from traditional family homes to bold contemporary designs and sensitive renovation projects breathing new life into historic buildings.

Persimmon also takes a leading role in initiatives aimed to stimulate the housing market, including FirstBuy, the government equity loan scheme to help first time buyers with smaller mortgage deposits. The company was awarded the largest FirstBuy allocation of any housebuilder, allowing it to deliver a wide choice of affordable properties to buyers at several of its locations.

Mr Follows added: “We’re fully supportive of the recently announced 95 per cent mortgage indemnity scheme, which we expect to see implemented this spring. This scheme will make a significant impact later in the year, as it will improve mortgage lending for first time buyers.”

Persimmon will also continue to work with the Government to support the new draft National Policy Planning Framework, which could substantially improve the supply of residential planning consents to address the significant shortfall in new homes construction across the UK.