Mortgage lending in Britain rose strongly in March and agreements for loans that have not yet been made pointed to robust demand in coming months.
The British Bankers' Association said today underlying mortgage lending grew by £4.8 billion in March.
The figures come as the lowest interest rates in 48 years extend a refinancing boom.
In further evidence that British consumers are in no hurry to put a brake on their spending, credit card borrowing rose by £400 million, the strongest monthly showing since May 2000.
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Separately, the Building Societies' Association said approvals stood at a seasonally adjusted £3.489 billion in March, down slightly from £3.824 billion in February but well above the £2.851 billion seen a year ago.