Rise in private sector work
Starts in the three months to September were 10% up on a year ago and 12% higher than during the preceding three months, according to the latest figures from Glenigan.
Residential starts were 11% higher than a year ago, supported by a rise in private housing project starts.
Meanwhile non-residential project starts were 13% higher than a year ago with increases in industrial, offices, retail and health starts more than offsetting weakness in other sectors, the market analyst said.
“The upturn in the value of underlying projects starting on site during the third quarter is encouraging and follows a subdued first half to 2018,” Allan Wilén, Glenigan’s economics director, said.
“Housebuilders appear to be making up for activity lost to poor weather during the first half of the year. Private residential starts during the three months to September were 17% up on the same period a year ago. On a seasonally adjusted basis starts were 16% up on the three months to June. Social housing starts were 9% down on a year ago, but were 12% ahead of the second quarter on a seasonally adjusted basis.”