Construction Activity Declines, Stays Above Pre-Covid Levels

Construction activity in the U.K. fell 2% in April, but continues to stay above pre-COVID levels for the second straight month, Building reported in June. Construction output in March of this year was 2.4% above that of February 2020, the last fully unaffected month before lockdowns took place in March 2020. This is the first time in 2021 that construction levels have fallen, according to the Office for National Statistics’ figures. The April decline was due to a 2.9% decline in new work and a 0.6% reverse in repair and maintenance activity. Mark Robinson, group chief executive at Scape, cited the decline as a reminder to the industry of ongoing materials shortages, saying: “The additional impact of rising material costs has the potential to delay or even, unless resolved quickly, stop new projects getting off the ground in the second half of the year.”