UK Construction Bounces Back With 13% Growth

The UK construction sector enjoyed a strong rebound as pandemic conditions eased in 2021, enabling the industry to enjoy unprecedented year-on-year growth.

Over the course of the year, output increased by 12.7 per cent, Office For National Statistics figures have revealed. This included a one per cent increase in the final quarter of the year compared with the third quarter.

The overall rise, strong as it was, did not match the 14.9 per cent decline in output in 2020, perhaps indicating that 2021 still provided significant Covid-related challenges such as the summer ‘pingdemic’ as the Delta wave struck.

However, there are good reasons for optimism in 2022 as the final three months of 2021 saw a 9.2 per cent quarter-on-quarter increase in orders, suggesting investor confidence is returning.

All this will be good news for those carrying out concrete reinforcement work in Yorkshire, as parts of the region have been among the top performing areas in the country over the last few months. Leeds has particularly stood out.

The latest Deloitte Regional Crane Surveys are important sources of data highlighting how certain cities outside London are performing, with the 2022 survey showing new activity in Leeds was at a “record breaking high”. Its tally of 22 major projects started in 2021 was the second highest in the 15-year history of the survey.

Noting that investment has continued rolling in and that City of Culture status awaits for 2023, the survey said the prognosis also looks highly promising moving forward.

Deloitte concluded: “2021 was a good year for Leeds in terms of development activity and looks set to continue for a number of years to come.”

Such positive sentiments come despite the fact that plans to extend HS2 to Leeds were cancelled in October. The government has, however, promised funding to enable the city to finally get its own tram system like those in Manchester and Sheffield.