Construction work falls to lowest level in a year January saw the lowest level of construction work in almost a year, as ongoing economic uncertainty and heavy rain blighted the industry, according to official statistics. The value of work across all construction sectors for the month was £14.8bn, a 1.7 per cent fall from December […]

Inflation added £23bn to cost of construction last year Rising costs add 23bn to the cost of construction output last year taking it to a record £204bn. This is the first-time annual construction value surpassed £200bn and represented a 15% rise from 2021 output values in nominal terms. Barbour ABI analysis of real versus nominal […]

Producers of heavy-side construction mineral products, including aggregates, asphalt and concrete, endured a challenging end to 2022. Against a background of continued growth in construction activity last year, supply chain bottlenecks, unprecedented costs pressures, extraordinary weather conditions and looming economic recession, demand for heavy-side materials declined for the third consecutive quarter at the end of […]

Construction new work output slips 0.4% in November Construction new work output in November fell 0.4% after being impacted by a near 5% fall in new build housing. Overall total output remained flat, as a modest 0.6% increase in repair and maintenance work helped to offset the new work fall. The fall in output was […]

Construction buyers report return to growth UK construction companies saw a modest increase in business activity during September representing a return to growth after two months of falling output. But optimism for future prospects dropped to its lowest level for two years as the prospect of higher interest rates and a downturn in the wider […]

Construction to avoid hard-landing recession Leading cost consultant Arcadis is warning that the current market cycle has reached its peak as unprecedented energy price rises make their impact felt. But the firm predicts the looming slowdown will not be ‘blow-out’ like the 2008-2012 crash. The industry instead is likely to experience a prolonged but shallow […]

Construction buyers report first drop in output for 18 months Industry buyers reported the first drop in construction output for one-and-a-half years in July. Commercial work saw the only increases as civils and housing falls dragged the bellwether S&P Global/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index to 48.9 in July from 52.6 in June. The index […]

  Heavyside material producers predict slowing sales Building material producers are bracing themselves for slowing sales in the months ahead as client householders think twice about projects amid rampant cost inflation. The latest trade survey of members of the Construction Products Association found that nearly a third of heavyside producers expect sales to fall in […]

  It has been reported that early action is required to maintain essential minerals supply beyond 2042. The Town & Country Planning (Minerals) Act 1981 looked to introduce an end date for all historic planning permission for mineral working across Great Britain. This was set at 22nd February 2042. This deadline applies to a variety […]

  Tender price inflation to soar to 10% this year Cost consultants Arcadis is warning the spectre of stagflation could hit construction as soaring materials inflation and risk allowances in tenders delay project pipelines. It estimates that disruption caused by the Ukraine War has magnified existing supply chain problems adding 3 to 5% to the […]

  Office work uplift returns construction output to growth Construction output returned to 1.7% growth in March after sliding during the storms in February. It is the first time private commercial work has emerged as a growth driver since the pandemic, recording a 4% rise in March. Private housing repair and maintenance also saw strong […]

  February storms dampen construction output The week long battering by storms, Dudley, Eunice and Franklin dampened construction output in February as more working days were lost. Monthly construction output slipped by 0.1% due to lost time and project delays. The main contributors to the decline in February were new infrastructure, and non-housing repairs and […]