Merchants see like-for-like Q2 sales nearing 15% up
Total value of sales from Britain’s builders’ merchants grew by 7.6% in April to June over Q1 but four fewer trading days in the period took like-for-like sales to +14.8%, according to the latest...
‘Acute recession’ looming with double-digit drops in new-build and RMI
The construction industry is heading for an acute recession driven by double-digit falls both private house new build and retrofit, according to the latest forecasts from the Construction Products Association.
“With a flatlining UK economy,...
Home Office adds more trades to easier visa list for foreign workers
Industry bodies have welcomed the confirmation by the Home Office that more trades including carpenters, joiners, roof workers and other construction workers have been added to the Shortage Occupation List giving workers from overseas...
Call for more commitment to housing as home building slumps again
Rising borrowing costs put further pressure on residential construction, giving the fastest decline since Covid-hit 2020, leading to further calls for the government to give a clear commitment to building more homes.
FMB chief executive...
Housebuilding declining, commercial growing, supply issues normalising – S&P
Mixed fortunes are highlighted in the latest S&P Global construction survey, with house building in deep decline while commercial grows, against a background that sees earlier serious supply problems continuing to normalise.
Improving supply issues,...
Supply problems fading fast but house building continues to decline – S&P
Materials supply problems throughout the industry showed the strongest improvement since 2009, according to the latest purchasing managers reports from S&P Global. At the same time however, house building showed the steepest decline for...
Fears of slump deepen with new forecast
Fears of a recession in construction output were confirmed today by a new forecast of a 6.4% drop in 2023, even worse than the 4.7% predicted only three months ago.
Private House building and repair/...
Rising costs continue to dampen product growth optimism
Light side construction products showed growth for a ninth quarter in succession while increases in energy, fuel and materials costs continue to add uncertainty to the immediate future, according to the Construction Products Association’s...
Get housing out of ‘planning purgatory’ – FMB
The government has been urged to release extra funding to train more planning staff to reverse the worsening housing crisis highlighted in the latest ONS figures.
The call comes from FMB chief Brian Berry, who...
House building down, commercial up but sourcing eases further – S&P
House building saw its fastest decline in almost three years last month while commercial building saw some increase, though more slowly than its February peak, according to the latest survey of purchasing managers.
However, the...