Skip to main content

Value of UK construction projects up 67.1% in past year

The value of construction projects in the UK has shot up by 67.1% in the last year, according to a new report. New project contracts awarded in December 2013 totalled €7.31 billion (£6 billion), compared to €4.38 billion (£3.6 billion) in the same month in 2012. The infrastructure sector proved to be an area of significant growth last month, with the total value of projects awarded reaching €2.68 billion (£2.2 billion), a 10.6% increase from November 2013 and a huge 101.6% year-on-year growth.
January 24, 2014 Read time: 3 mins
The value of construction projects in the UK has shot up by 67.1% in the last year, according to a new report. New project contracts awarded in December 2013 totalled €7.31 billion (£6 billion), compared to €4.38 billion (£3.6 billion) in the same month in 2012.

The infrastructure sector proved to be an area of significant growth last month, with the total value of projects awarded reaching €2.68 billion (£2.2 billion), a 10.6% increase from November 2013 and a huge 101.6% year-on-year growth.

These latest figures, taken from Barbour ABI's Economic & Construction Market Review, also highlight sustained growth in the residential construction sector, which continues to be boosted by initiatives such as the Government's Help to Buy scheme. The total contract value for December in this sector grew by 88.2% year-on-year.

On the findings of the report, Michael Dall, lead economist at Barbour ABI, said, "Residential construction remained strong throughout the latter half of 2013 and has truly spurred on the growth of the industry. In the most part, the increase in residential activity can be attributed to the Government's Help to Buy scheme, but there are concerns that demand created by such schemes will surpass the rate of house building. This is a topic that will be the source of major debate over the next 12 months in the lead up to the 2015 elections.

"The performance of infrastructure as a sub-sector is also incredibly encouraging. The figures are a reflection of an exciting year of renewed optimism for the construction industry and, as a major contributor to figures for the industry as a whole, the sustained period of strong project values in this sector is good news and a key indicator for future growth.

"The National Infrastructure Plan, as published by the Government on December 4th 2013, updated the top 40 infrastructure projects in the pipeline for the UK, outlining a pathway for potential growth. An increase in new orders data recorded by Barbour ABI encourages me to suggest that the sector does have strong growth potential this year."

As well as highlighting key sub-sector trends within the construction industry, data in the report also identifies regional variations in overall construction performance. Last month, Wales took the lead as the most prominent area, accounting for 19% of the UK total. This is largely attributable to an €975.27 million (£800 million) waste treatment project announced in Clwyd, providing a huge boost to the figures. London accounted for 18% of all contracts awarded, while Yorkshire and the Humber and the South East were not too far behind, each accounting for 13% and 12% of the total respectively.

The Economic & Construction Market Review is a monthly report designed to give valuable, current insight into UK construction industry performance. The Review is compiled from Barbour ABI's records of construction data for every UK planning application, and key indicators, such as the 3598 Office for National Statistics' Construction New Orders data.

The Economic and Construction Market Review will be published monthly and is available to download at %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal http://bit.ly/1eUKB9P download at - http://bit.ly/1eUKB9P false http://bit.ly/1eUKB9P false false%>

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Boom in Asian infrastructure investment
    April 5, 2012
    Investment in China and India continues unabated, but other nations on the continent are eager to attract companies as Patrick Smith reports Asia is still booming despite the current economic crisis, and new infrastructure programmes are constantly coming on stream. Powerhouses China and India, with their double-digit growth figures and huge infrastructure plans (in scope and cost), are leading the way and are still magnets for businesses wishing to expand, both in terms of facilities and customers. But oth
  • Liebherr continues to grow despite tough trading conditions
    January 6, 2017
    Liebherr is weathering the current financial situation rather better than some other firms, having seen turnover increase 9.8% to €4.4 billion in the first half of 2012, compared with the previous year. According to Andreas Boehm, a member of the board of directors at Liebherr, turnover for the mining and construction operations saw gains of 7.7% to €2.84 billion in the first half of 2012, compared with 2011. He continued, “Turnover from our earthmoving machinery increased 14.4% to €1.07 billion.” However,
  • Liebherr continues to grow despite tough trading conditions
    November 28, 2012
    Liebherr is weathering the current financial situation rather better than some other firms, having seen turnover increase 9.8% to €4.4 billion in the first half of 2012, compared with the previous year. According to Andreas Boehm, a member of the board of directors at Liebherr, turnover for the mining and construction operations saw gains of 7.7% to €2.84 billion in the first half of 2012, compared with 2011. He continued, “Turnover from our earthmoving machinery increased 14.4% to €1.07 billion.” However,
  • The European Union Road Federation (ERF) calls for EU Member States to prioritise road maintenance
    August 12, 2014
    The European Union Road Federation (ERF) has put out an “urgent” call for “EU Member States to prioritise road maintenance” as neglected surfaces continue to deteriorate and the potholes grow larger and larger. ERF wants the EU to “put alternative financing mechanisms into place” as soon as possible, to tackle what it sees as a growing road safety crisis across the region.