Bulgaria’s statistical office recorded more building permits issued in the second quarter of 2009, but for smaller home units compared with the first quarter.

The number of new permits rose by 24.6 per cent to 1832 from January to March 2009 but plunged by 61.4 per cent against a year ago.

Built-up area contracted by 28.8 per cent, accommodating 31 per cent fewer homes. The largest number of residential properties are due to spring up in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Bourgas.

Building permits for administrative projects for the second quarter were flat from the first, totaling 79, the National Statistical Office (NSI) said. Again, built-up space declined by 33.4 per cent and experts predict some office projects planned before the crisis erupted could be scaled down.

The southern city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second largest, will host the most new administrative buildings -- 13 -- spanning slightly more than 6000 sq m in total. The municipal authorities in Dobrich have issued 11 permits for business projects with a combined area of more than 10 000 sq m. Sofia will be home to six new administrative buildings covering just more than 1000 sq m combined.

At the start of the summer, the NSI published its new home construction figures for January to March, which saw 3897 flats and 547 buildings come to completion. The bulk of them were located in Varna and Bourgas. Stara Zagora and Kyustendil regions saw not a single completed housing project. Homes finished in the first quarter of the year were 42.8 per cent fewer than in the final quarter of 2008.