Heavy rain hampers construction output in Great Britain

Neil Gerrard Senior Editor, Construction Briefing

12 April 2024

Construction output fell 1.9% in Great Britain in February as companies struggled with difficult site conditions amid heavy rainfall.

Aerial view of a dumper on a muddy construction site. Image: teamjackson via AdobeStock - stock.adobe.com

That’s according to the latest official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The decrease in monthly output came from falls in both new work (-2.3%) and repair and maintenance (-1.4%).

The declines came in spite of a 1.1% increase in January this year, and ONS said that anecdotal evidence suggested the effects of heavy rainfall in February had led to delays in planned work and decreasing output.

Construction output is estimated to have decreased by 1% in the three months to February 2024, which came solely from a decrease in new work (-3%). Repair and maintenance increased by 1.6% over the period.

February 2024 was the fourth wettest on record in England since 1871, with rainfall a total of 130mm, which represents 225% of the 1961 to 1990 long term average.

UK General Construction
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