Designing Buildings - User contributions [en]

UK Passive Fire Protection Market Analysis

2025-10-06T10:16:52Z

Barbour ABI: Created page with "In recent years, the role of passive fire protection has grown significantly. Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, building safety reform has become a national priority...."

In recent years, the role of passive fire protection has grown significantly. Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, building safety reform has become a national priority.

Passive fire protection now stands at the heart of compliance, design and refurbishment strategies, shaping the way the construction industry approaches both new developments and upgrades to existing stock.

== Market outlook ==

According to Barbour ABI’s Passive Fire Protection Market Report (2025-2029), the UK market for PFP reached an estimated value of £947m in 2024. Growth is set to continue at an average of almost 5% annually, taking the market beyond £1.18bn by 2029.

The market for passive fire protection equipment is larger than its active fire protection counterpart, which was valued by Barbour ABI at £715m in 2024.

Market performance remains heavily dependent on construction output and activity, with some of the recent growth attributed to the comparatively buoyant performance of non-residential sectors such as renewable energy, transport and data centres.

Growth in housebuilding activity has slowed as the economic situation has worsened, although the ambitious Government targets to increase the number of homes should benefit the market.

Following the Grenfell Tower fire, many regulations and product standards have been amended or introduced, pushing fire safety up the agenda. There is now more pressure upon manufacturers to develop passive fire protection products offering improved fire resistance and which are suitable for a greater range of applications.

== Drivers of growth ==

The strength of the industry is owed to the potential customer base remaining extensive, given that all buildings require some form of either passive or active fire protection. However, demand is heavily reliant on construction output, which in turn is influenced by the state of the UK economy.

The ongoing introduction of more stringent fire safety regulations should keep demand for many types of passive fire protection equipment at reasonably high levels.

Technological advancements are also driving growth, with the fire industry becoming more automated. The need to improve detection and monitoring of smoke and flames to allow for more efficient and timely responses, means smarter systems with in-built detection sensors are becoming more commonplace.

As the market develops further, it seems likely that smarter forms of passive fire protection will become incorporated with other smart building systems using Internet of Things (IoT) and AI technologies.

== Barriers and challenges ==

While regulation and refurbishment are driving growth, some areas of the market face structural challenges that may limit demand. In the commercial offices sector, which has traditionally been a strong user of fire doors and fire resistant partitions and glass, future demand is uncertain. Occupancy levels in offices have yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels, and the widespread adoption of hybrid and remote working patterns raises questions about how much space will ultimately be required in the years ahead.

A similar trend is evident in retail, where the shift towards online shopping has reduced the need for physical premises. As store numbers reduce, the requirement for passive fire protection equipment will also fall.

Public sector facilities are also in decline. Central and local government bodies are seeking to reduce costs and cut back their resilience on offices in expensive locations such as London. The rationalisation of public buildings means fewer new projects and refurbishments requiring passive fire protection.

== Product mix ==

From a product perspective, the market is dominated by fire doors, fittings and intumescent seals, which account for a value share of 57% in 2024.

Price rises have been evident in many of the market’s product sectors in recent years, as has been the case elsewhere in the construction industry. Part of this has been due to the rising global price of various raw materials such as metals, wood and rubber. The shift towards higher-value solutions has also contributed towards higher prices within the sector.

Construction contract awards plummet for second consecutive month, intensifying concerns for housing and infrastructure goals

2025-06-17T13:41:45Z

Barbour ABI:

[[File:Barbour_ABI_2.jpg|link=File:Barbour_ABI_2.jpg]]

Construction contract awards hit their lowest point this year, tumbling 11% from April to just £5.1 billion – now £1.5 billion below the 2024 average – adding further strain to government efforts to accelerate housing and infrastructure delivery.

The Commercial & Retail sector took the sharpest hit in May, plunging 68% to just £290 million – the lowest monthly value in over a year. Infrastructure also suffered, recording its weakest performance since November, down 26% to less than £1 billion. Notably, the Coppermill Lane Pumping Station & Water Treatment Works was the largest project, accounting for nearly half of the sector’s total.

Residential awards slipped 10% to £1.7 billion. While this is an improvement compared to February and March, it remains below both the 2024 and 2025 averages. The £400 million Bollo Lane development in London was the highlight for this sector.

The East of England endured its worst month for contract awards in over a year, with values plunging 75% from the 2024 average. Alarmingly, only seven projects exceeded £10 million, and none topped £30 million.

Ed Griffiths, head of business and client analytics at Barbour ABI, commented:

“The spending review was widely seen as good news for construction but the backdrop is that it’s been another disappointing month for contract awards. The industry continues to grapple with economic uncertainty and regulatory hurdles that are delaying many schemes. The project pipeline remains relatively strong, but these barriers need to be addressed to unlock progress – although it’s possible that meaningful growth may not materialize until 2026.

“There are potential bright spots ahead in green energy and data centres, which continue to drive demand for transmission infrastructure. Infrastructure hopes may be buoyed by the Chancellor’s recent announcement of a £15 billion investment, particularly focused in the North of England.”

Planning approvals also fell in May, declining 15% to £8.2 billion – the lowest month so far this year but still 5% higher than the 2024 average. Meanwhile, Residential planning approvals rose to £3.2 billion, aligning with the 2024 average.

And the overall value of planning applications nosedived 48% from March to £7.1 billion. This steep drop is partly due to the completion of two large projects in Infrastructure and Medical & Healthcare at the end of March, but all sectors have been subdued.

User:Barbour ABI

2025-06-17T13:41:32Z

Barbour ABI:

Barbour ABI was founded to support the UK construction industry – helping businesses to sustain and grow. We are the exclusive provider of New Orders Estimates to the Office for National Statistics and partner to the Infrastructure & Projects Authority in providing the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline.

As the market leading provider of construction project information, we strive to allow our clients to access the very best, most accurate and up-to-date data on construction projects and the key decision makers that are involved.

Not only do we generate construction project leads, but we also are able to inform the industry of the latest trends and developments using our data to analyse and form a complete picture of the past, present and future.

We consider current affairs and their impact on our industry, where the opportunities and threats lie, and therefore how our clients can future-proof themselves.

Our mission is to provide our clients with the best experience and that the service and product we provide is an extension of their own business and something they can’t do without.

-----
== Contributions ==

* [[Construction_contract_awards_plummet_for_second_consecutive_month,_intensifying_concerns_for_housing_and_infrastructure_goals|Construction contract awards plummet for second consecutive month, intensifying concerns for housing and infrastructure goals]]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_contract_awards_down_%C2%A31bn Construction contract awards down £1bn]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_contract_awards_remain_buoyant_but_residential_struggles Construction contract awards remain buoyant but residential struggles]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/UK_Construction_contract_spending_up_69%25_in_new_year UK Construction contract spending up 69% in new year]
* [[Infrastructure_sector_posts_second_consecutive_triple_digit_gain_in_October|Infrastructure sector posts second consecutive triple digit gain in October]]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_contract_awards_provide_relief_in_the_wake_of_ISG_collapse Construction contract awards provide relief in the wake of ISG collapse]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/London_construction_cools_as_hotspots_appear_nationally London construction cools as hotspots appear nationally]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Election_fails_to_spark_construction_industry_revival Election fails to spark construction industry revival]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Planning_approvals_increased_by_20%25_in_June_ahead_of_Labour%E2%80%99s_new_drive_for_housebuilding Planning approvals increased by 20% in June ahead of Labour’s new drive for housebuilding]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_contract_awards_jump_to_%C2%A37.3bn_in_May_as_uncertainty_continues Construction contract awards jump to £7.3bn in May as uncertainty continues]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Homeowners_turn_to_green_energy_upgrades_as_home_improvement_activity_declines Homeowners turn to green energy upgrades as home improvement activity declines]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year New engineering data shows over £52bn of projects were awarded to top 50 firms in the last] [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year year]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year [1]][https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Residential_takes_the_reins_as_contract_awards_even_out Residential] [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Residential_takes_the_reins_as_contract_awards_even_out takes the reins from infrastructure as contract awards even out]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_industry_revs_engines_in_January Construction industry revs engines in January]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/UK_Construction_saw_an_%C2%A311.1bn_fall_in_spending_in_2023 UK Construction saw an £11.1bn fall in spending in 2023]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Education_and_Health_applications_shine_in_subdued_construction_October_market Education and Health applications shine in subdued construction October market]
* [[Subdued_planning_environment_figures_provide_scant_hope_for_house-building_targets|Subdued planning environment figures provide scant hope for house-building targets]]
* [[April_turn_for_the_worse,_for_construction,_as_market_seesawing_continues|April turn for the worse, for construction, as market seesawing continues]]
* [[New_energy_rules,_a_threat_to_towns_and_cities_across_UK|New energy rules, a threat to towns and cities across UK]]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Infrastructure_tumbles,_adding_to_construction_industry_woes Infrastructure tumbles, adding to construction industry woes]

Construction contract awards plummet for second consecutive month, intensifying concerns for housing and infrastructure goals

2025-06-17T13:39:49Z

Barbour ABI: Created page with "File:Barbour ABI 2.jpg Construction contract awards plummet for second consecutive month, intensifying concerns for housing and infrastructure goals Construction contract a..."

[[File:Barbour ABI 2.jpg]]

Construction contract awards plummet for second consecutive month, intensifying concerns for housing and infrastructure goals

Construction contract awards hit their lowest point this year, tumbling 11% from April to just £5.1 billion – now £1.5 billion below the 2024 average – adding further strain to government efforts to accelerate housing and infrastructure delivery.

The Commercial & Retail sector took the sharpest hit in May, plunging 68% to just £290 million – the lowest monthly value in over a year. Infrastructure also suffered, recording its weakest performance since November, down 26% to less than £1 billion. Notably, the Coppermill Lane Pumping Station & Water Treatment Works was the largest project, accounting for nearly half of the sector’s total.

Residential awards slipped 10% to £1.7 billion. While this is an improvement compared to February and March, it remains below both the 2024 and 2025 averages. The £400 million Bollo Lane development in London was the highlight for this sector.

The East of England endured its worst month for contract awards in over a year, with values plunging 75% from the 2024 average. Alarmingly, only seven projects exceeded £10 million, and none topped £30 million.

Ed Griffiths, head of business and client analytics at Barbour ABI, commented:

“The spending review was widely seen as good news for construction but the backdrop is that it’s been another disappointing month for contract awards. The industry continues to grapple with economic uncertainty and regulatory hurdles that are delaying many schemes. The project pipeline remains relatively strong, but these barriers need to be addressed to unlock progress – although it’s possible that meaningful growth may not materialize until 2026.

“There are potential bright spots ahead in green energy and data centres, which continue to drive demand for transmission infrastructure. Infrastructure hopes may be buoyed by the Chancellor’s recent announcement of a £15 billion investment, particularly focused in the North of England.”

Planning approvals also fell in May, declining 15% to £8.2 billion – the lowest month so far this year but still 5% higher than the 2024 average. Meanwhile, Residential planning approvals rose to £3.2 billion, aligning with the 2024 average.

And the overall value of planning applications nosedived 48% from March to £7.1 billion. This steep drop is partly due to the completion of two large projects in Infrastructure and Medical & Healthcare at the end of March, but all sectors have been subdued.

Construction contract awards down one billion pounds

2025-05-09T14:10:06Z

Barbour ABI:

[[File:Barbour_ABI_-_Sunrise.jpg|link=File:Barbour_ABI_-_Sunrise.jpg]]

Construction contract awards are now almost £1bn below the 2024 average at £5.7bn, according to Barbour ABI.

Contract awards have declined over the past two months with April value down 19% compared to the same period last year, following a positive start to the year.

There are signs of resilience and optimism in some areas. Infrastructure stood out as a relative bright spot, increasing 14% between March and April, with an increasing volume of brick and concrete deliveries and a growing pipeline of green energy projects.

[[File:Barbour_ABI_-_May_Snapshot_Contracts_image.png|link=File:Barbour_ABI_-_May_Snapshot_Contracts_image.png]]

Infrastructure planning approvals were up 85% on March and 150% on the 2024 average, with green energy projects that including the Rampion offshore windfarm and Moy Lodge hydro energy storage facility in Scotland leading the way.

“The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has forecast that infrastructure will be the main driver of industry growth in the coming years,” said Barbour ABI’s Head of Business and Client Analytics, Ed Griffiths.

“Adding momentum to the infrastructure and planning outlook, the Chancellor has pledged to reform environmental regulations that supposedly unnecessarily hinder development.”

Residential awards were also up month on month; however, the three largest projects (totalling £726m) were student accommodation developments in the North of England and Scotland, which do not contribute to the government’s 1.5million housing target.

Regionally, Wales had an optimistic month almost doubling the 2024 average for contract awards. However, over two-thirds of this value came from the £225m Cardiff Bay music arena and hotel development. Contract value for the North West increased by 86% to £1bn, 60% above the 2024 average.

The overall value of new planning applications dipped from February falling 14% to £8.5bn in March.

“Despite some positive indicators, including increased materials deliveries and infrastructure momentum, job cuts across the sector and uncertainty driven by external pressures such as US tariffs, suggest that the near-term outlook remains challenging. Notably, new home starts in London are at a 16-year low according to the latest industry figures.”

-- Barbour ABI

User:Barbour ABI

2025-05-09T14:09:51Z

Barbour ABI:

Barbour ABI was founded to support the UK construction industry – helping businesses to sustain and grow. We are the exclusive provider of New Orders Estimates to the Office for National Statistics and partner to the Infrastructure & Projects Authority in providing the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline.

As the market leading provider of construction project information, we strive to allow our clients to access the very best, most accurate and up-to-date data on construction projects and the key decision makers that are involved.

Not only do we generate construction project leads, but we also are able to inform the industry of the latest trends and developments using our data to analyse and form a complete picture of the past, present and future.

We consider current affairs and their impact on our industry, where the opportunities and threats lie, and therefore how our clients can future-proof themselves.

Our mission is to provide our clients with the best experience and that the service and product we provide is an extension of their own business and something they can’t do without.

-----
== Contributions ==

* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_contract_awards_down_%C2%A31bn Construction contract awards down £1bn]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_contract_awards_remain_buoyant_but_residential_struggles Construction contract awards remain buoyant but residential struggles]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/UK_Construction_contract_spending_up_69%25_in_new_year UK Construction contract spending up 69% in new year]
* [[Infrastructure_sector_posts_second_consecutive_triple_digit_gain_in_October|Infrastructure sector posts second consecutive triple digit gain in October]]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_contract_awards_provide_relief_in_the_wake_of_ISG_collapse Construction contract awards provide relief in the wake of ISG collapse]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/London_construction_cools_as_hotspots_appear_nationally London construction cools as hotspots appear nationally]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Election_fails_to_spark_construction_industry_revival Election fails to spark construction industry revival]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Planning_approvals_increased_by_20%25_in_June_ahead_of_Labour%E2%80%99s_new_drive_for_housebuilding Planning approvals increased by 20% in June ahead of Labour’s new drive for housebuilding]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_contract_awards_jump_to_%C2%A37.3bn_in_May_as_uncertainty_continues Construction contract awards jump to £7.3bn in May as uncertainty continues]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Homeowners_turn_to_green_energy_upgrades_as_home_improvement_activity_declines Homeowners turn to green energy upgrades as home improvement activity declines]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year New engineering data shows over £52bn of projects were awarded to top 50 firms in the last] [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year year]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year [1]][https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Residential_takes_the_reins_as_contract_awards_even_out Residential] [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Residential_takes_the_reins_as_contract_awards_even_out takes the reins from infrastructure as contract awards even out]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_industry_revs_engines_in_January Construction industry revs engines in January]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/UK_Construction_saw_an_%C2%A311.1bn_fall_in_spending_in_2023 UK Construction saw an £11.1bn fall in spending in 2023]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Education_and_Health_applications_shine_in_subdued_construction_October_market Education and Health applications shine in subdued construction October market]
* [[Subdued_planning_environment_figures_provide_scant_hope_for_house-building_targets|Subdued planning environment figures provide scant hope for house-building targets]]
* [[April_turn_for_the_worse,_for_construction,_as_market_seesawing_continues|April turn for the worse, for construction, as market seesawing continues]]
* [[New_energy_rules,_a_threat_to_towns_and_cities_across_UK|New energy rules, a threat to towns and cities across UK]]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Infrastructure_tumbles,_adding_to_construction_industry_woes Infrastructure tumbles, adding to construction industry woes]

Construction contract awards down one billion pounds

2025-05-09T14:08:54Z

Barbour ABI: Created page with "File:Barbour ABI - Sunrise.jpg Construction contract awards are now almost £1bn below the 2024 average at £5.7bn, according to Barbour ABI. Contract awards have declined ..."

[[File:Barbour ABI - Sunrise.jpg]]

Construction contract awards are now almost £1bn below the 2024 average at £5.7bn, according to Barbour ABI.

Contract awards have declined over the past two months with April value down 19% compared to the same period last year, following a positive start to the year.

There are signs of resilience and optimism in some areas. Infrastructure stood out as a relative bright spot, increasing 14% between March and April, with an increasing volume of brick and concrete deliveries and a growing pipeline of green energy projects.

[[File:Barbour ABI - May Snapshot Contracts image.png]]

Infrastructure planning approvals were up 85% on March and 150% on the 2024 average, with green energy projects that including the Rampion offshore windfarm and Moy Lodge hydro energy storage facility in Scotland leading the way.

“The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has forecast that infrastructure will be the main driver of industry growth in the coming years,” said Barbour ABI’s Head of Business and Client Analytics, Ed Griffiths.

“Adding momentum to the infrastructure and planning outlook, the Chancellor has pledged to reform environmental regulations that supposedly unnecessarily hinder development.”

Residential awards were also up month on month; however, the three largest projects (totalling £726m) were student accommodation developments in the North of England and Scotland, which do not contribute to the government’s 1.5million housing target.

Regionally, Wales had an optimistic month almost doubling the 2024 average for contract awards. However, over two-thirds of this value came from the £225m Cardiff Bay music arena and hotel development. Contract value for the North West increased by 86% to £1bn, 60% above the 2024 average.

The overall value of new planning applications dipped from February falling 14% to £8.5bn in March.

“Despite some positive indicators, including increased materials deliveries and infrastructure momentum, job cuts across the sector and uncertainty driven by external pressures such as US tariffs, suggest that the near-term outlook remains challenging. Notably, new home starts in London are at a 16-year low according to the latest industry figures.”

File:Barbour ABI - May Snapshot Contracts image.png

2025-05-09T14:08:25Z

Barbour ABI: Image taken from Barbour ABI's Snap Analysis - May 2025

Image taken from Barbour ABI's Snap Analysis - May 2025

User:Barbour ABI

2025-03-19T11:58:30Z

Barbour ABI:

Barbour ABI was founded to support the UK construction industry – helping businesses to sustain and grow. We are the exclusive provider of New Orders Estimates to the Office for National Statistics and partner to the Infrastructure & Projects Authority in providing the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline.

As the market leading provider of construction project information, we strive to allow our clients to access the very best, most accurate and up-to-date data on construction projects and the key decision makers that are involved.

Not only do we generate construction project leads, but we also are able to inform the industry of the latest trends and developments using our data to analyse and form a complete picture of the past, present and future.

We consider current affairs and their impact on our industry, where the opportunities and threats lie, and therefore how our clients can future-proof themselves.

Our mission is to provide our clients with the best experience and that the service and product we provide is an extension of their own business and something they can’t do without.

-----
== Contributions ==

* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_contract_awards_remain_buoyant_but_residential_struggles Construction contract awards remain buoyant but residential struggles]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/UK_Construction_contract_spending_up_69%25_in_new_year UK Construction contract spending up 69% in new year]
* [[Infrastructure_sector_posts_second_consecutive_triple_digit_gain_in_October|Infrastructure sector posts second consecutive triple digit gain in October]]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_contract_awards_provide_relief_in_the_wake_of_ISG_collapse Construction contract awards provide relief in the wake of ISG collapse]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/London_construction_cools_as_hotspots_appear_nationally London construction cools as hotspots appear nationally]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Election_fails_to_spark_construction_industry_revival Election fails to spark construction industry revival]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Planning_approvals_increased_by_20%25_in_June_ahead_of_Labour%E2%80%99s_new_drive_for_housebuilding Planning approvals increased by 20% in June ahead of Labour’s new drive for housebuilding]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_contract_awards_jump_to_%C2%A37.3bn_in_May_as_uncertainty_continues Construction contract awards jump to £7.3bn in May as uncertainty continues]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Homeowners_turn_to_green_energy_upgrades_as_home_improvement_activity_declines Homeowners turn to green energy upgrades as home improvement activity declines]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year New engineering data shows over £52bn of projects were awarded to top 50 firms in the last] [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year year]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year [1]][https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Residential_takes_the_reins_as_contract_awards_even_out Residential] [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Residential_takes_the_reins_as_contract_awards_even_out takes the reins from infrastructure as contract awards even out]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_industry_revs_engines_in_January Construction industry revs engines in January]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/UK_Construction_saw_an_%C2%A311.1bn_fall_in_spending_in_2023 UK Construction saw an £11.1bn fall in spending in 2023]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Education_and_Health_applications_shine_in_subdued_construction_October_market Education and Health applications shine in subdued construction October market]
* [[Subdued_planning_environment_figures_provide_scant_hope_for_house-building_targets|Subdued planning environment figures provide scant hope for house-building targets]]
* [[April_turn_for_the_worse,_for_construction,_as_market_seesawing_continues|April turn for the worse, for construction, as market seesawing continues]]
* [[New_energy_rules,_a_threat_to_towns_and_cities_across_UK|New energy rules, a threat to towns and cities across UK]]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Infrastructure_tumbles,_adding_to_construction_industry_woes Infrastructure tumbles, adding to construction industry woes]

Construction contract awards remain buoyant but residential struggles

2025-03-19T11:57:38Z

Barbour ABI:

Following a strong start to the year, the value of new orders in construction eased slightly in February to £7.6bn – 10% down on January – Barbour ABI’s monthly industry Snapshot reveals.

Infrastructure, however, was up 76% month-on-month, the north west leading the way with £1.3bn in awards, including a hydrogen plant at Stanlow and a big project to improve traffic flow at Junction 18 of the M60.

A £1.2bn investment in the Port Talbot Steelworks Furnace fuels further growth too.

[[File:Barbour_ABI_-_February_Snap_Analysis_-_Contract_awards.png|link=File:Barbour_ABI_-_February_Snap_Analysis_-_Contract_awards.png]]

In London, large office developments helped the commercial and retail sector reach £1bn in awards while there has been a notable shift in healthcare this month – planning approvals are up 253%, with over half related to investment in Dorset County Hospital.

Barbour ABI’s chief analyst Ed Griffiths said: “Despite a fall in February awards, the improvement in 2025 continues, being 18% up on the same period in 2024.

“Infrastructure remains a bright spot with continued government focus on renewables and clean energy pointing to continued growth in this sector. The Spring Statement will be interesting to see if any "big ticket" infrastructure schemes are announced by Rachel Reeves.”

== Skills shortages and regulatory delays ==

Mr Griffiths said the new planning reform bill “promised to speed up the planning system and get Britain building,” but he added: “planning delay are only one hurdle … viability and demand for new houses, skill shortages, fluctuations in material costs – all will have an impact.”

[[File:Barbour_ABI_-_February_Snap_Analysis_-_Monthly_planning_approvals_by_sector.png|link=File:Barbour_ABI_-_February_Snap_Analysis_-_Monthly_planning_approvals_by_sector.png]]

Barbour ABI’s February Snapshot reveals that residential fell back 45% to £1.4bn after a bounce in January. Approvals were down this month, falling 41% to £2.32bn, the lowest it has been in over a year.

Commercial and retail comes came back strongly after a subdued January with large office developments in London helping the sector reach £1bn in awards.

[[File:Barbour_ABI_-_February_Snap_Analysis_-_Planning_Approvals.png|link=File:Barbour_ABI_-_February_Snap_Analysis_-_Planning_Approvals.png]]

Regionally, the West Midlands continue to experience poor development with February down 50% on last month and the 2024 average. The East Midlands, on the other hand, has benefitted from the numerous solar and battery projects approved this month raising its approval value to £1.7bn.

While planning approval value has decreased by 19% in February to £8.5bn, it is still above the 2024 average.

--[https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/User:Barbour_ABI Barbour ABI]

Construction contract awards remain buoyant but residential struggles

2025-03-19T11:57:20Z

Barbour ABI:

= Following a strong start to the year, the value of new orders in construction eased slightly in February to £7.6bn – 10% down on January – Barbour ABI’s monthly industry Snapshot reveals. =

Infrastructure, however, was up 76% month-on-month, the north west leading the way with £1.3bn in awards, including a hydrogen plant at Stanlow and a big project to improve traffic flow at Junction 18 of the M60.

A £1.2bn investment in the Port Talbot Steelworks Furnace fuels further growth too.

[[File:Barbour_ABI_-_February_Snap_Analysis_-_Contract_awards.png|link=File:Barbour_ABI_-_February_Snap_Analysis_-_Contract_awards.png]]

In London, large office developments helped the commercial and retail sector reach £1bn in awards while there has been a notable shift in healthcare this month – planning approvals are up 253%, with over half related to investment in Dorset County Hospital.

Barbour ABI’s chief analyst Ed Griffiths said: “Despite a fall in February awards, the improvement in 2025 continues, being 18% up on the same period in 2024.

“Infrastructure remains a bright spot with continued government focus on renewables and clean energy pointing to continued growth in this sector. The Spring Statement will be interesting to see if any "big ticket" infrastructure schemes are announced by Rachel Reeves.”

== Skills shortages and regulatory delays ==

Mr Griffiths said the new planning reform bill “promised to speed up the planning system and get Britain building,” but he added: “planning delay are only one hurdle … viability and demand for new houses, skill shortages, fluctuations in material costs – all will have an impact.”

[[File:Barbour_ABI_-_February_Snap_Analysis_-_Monthly_planning_approvals_by_sector.png|link=File:Barbour_ABI_-_February_Snap_Analysis_-_Monthly_planning_approvals_by_sector.png]]

Barbour ABI’s February Snapshot reveals that residential fell back 45% to £1.4bn after a bounce in January. Approvals were down this month, falling 41% to £2.32bn, the lowest it has been in over a year.

Commercial and retail comes came back strongly after a subdued January with large office developments in London helping the sector reach £1bn in awards.

[[File:Barbour_ABI_-_February_Snap_Analysis_-_Planning_Approvals.png|link=File:Barbour_ABI_-_February_Snap_Analysis_-_Planning_Approvals.png]]

Regionally, the West Midlands continue to experience poor development with February down 50% on last month and the 2024 average. The East Midlands, on the other hand, has benefitted from the numerous solar and battery projects approved this month raising its approval value to £1.7bn.

While planning approval value has decreased by 19% in February to £8.5bn, it is still above the 2024 average.

--[https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/User:Barbour_ABI Barbour ABI]

Construction contract awards remain buoyant but residential struggles

2025-03-19T11:56:38Z

Barbour ABI: Created page with "= Following a strong start to the year, the value of new orders in construction eased slightly in February to £7.6bn – 10% down on January – Barbour ABI’s monthly industry..."

= Following a strong start to the year, the value of new orders in construction eased slightly in February to £7.6bn – 10% down on January – Barbour ABI’s monthly industry Snapshot reveals. =

Infrastructure, however, was up 76% month-on-month, the north west leading the way with £1.3bn in awards, including a hydrogen plant at Stanlow and a big project to improve traffic flow at Junction 18 of the M60.

A £1.2bn investment in the Port Talbot Steelworks Furnace fuels further growth too.

[[File:Barbour ABI - February Snap Analysis - Contract awards.png]]

In London, large office developments helped the commercial and retail sector reach £1bn in awards while there has been a notable shift in healthcare this month – planning approvals are up 253%, with over half related to investment in Dorset County Hospital.

Barbour ABI’s chief analyst Ed Griffiths said: “Despite a fall in February awards, the improvement in 2025 continues, being 18% up on the same period in 2024.

“Infrastructure remains a bright spot with continued government focus on renewables and clean energy pointing to continued growth in this sector. The Spring Statement will be interesting to see if any "big ticket" infrastructure schemes are announced by Rachel Reeves.”

== Skills shortages and regulatory delays ==

Mr Griffiths said the new planning reform bill “promised to speed up the planning system and get Britain building,” but he added: “planning delay are only one hurdle … viability and demand for new houses, skill shortages, fluctuations in material costs – all will have an impact.”

[[File:Barbour ABI - February Snap Analysis - Monthly planning approvals by sector.png]]

Barbour ABI’s February Snapshot reveals that residential fell back 45% to £1.4bn after a bounce in January. Approvals were down this month, falling 41% to £2.32bn, the lowest it has been in over a year.

Commercial and retail comes came back strongly after a subdued January with large office developments in London helping the sector reach £1bn in awards.

[[File:Barbour ABI - February Snap Analysis - Planning Approvals.png]]

Regionally, the West Midlands continue to experience poor development with February down 50% on last month and the 2024 average. The East Midlands, on the other hand, has benefitted from the numerous solar and battery projects approved this month raising its approval value to £1.7bn.

While planning approval value has decreased by 19% in February to £8.5bn, it is still above the 2024 average.

File:Barbour ABI - February Snap Analysis - Contract awards.png

2025-03-19T11:55:06Z

Barbour ABI: Source: Barbour ABI

Source: Barbour ABI

File:Barbour ABI - February Snap Analysis - Monthly planning approvals by sector.png

2025-03-19T11:54:27Z

Barbour ABI: Source: Barbour ABI

Source: Barbour ABI

File:Barbour ABI - February Snap Analysis - Planning Approvals.png

2025-03-19T11:51:49Z

Barbour ABI: Source: Barbour ABI

Source: Barbour ABI

User:Barbour ABI

2025-02-21T11:46:24Z

Barbour ABI:

Barbour ABI was founded to support the UK construction industry – helping businesses to sustain and grow. We are the exclusive provider of New Orders Estimates to the Office for National Statistics and partner to the Infrastructure & Projects Authority in providing the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline.

As the market leading provider of construction project information, we strive to allow our clients to access the very best, most accurate and up-to-date data on construction projects and the key decision makers that are involved.

Not only do we generate construction project leads, but we also are able to inform the industry of the latest trends and developments using our data to analyse and form a complete picture of the past, present and future.

We consider current affairs and their impact on our industry, where the opportunities and threats lie, and therefore how our clients can future-proof themselves.

Our mission is to provide our clients with the best experience and that the service and product we provide is an extension of their own business and something they can’t do without.

-----
== Contributions ==

* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/UK_Construction_contract_spending_up_69%25_in_new_year UK Construction contract spending up 69% in new year]
* [[Infrastructure_sector_posts_second_consecutive_triple_digit_gain_in_October|Infrastructure sector posts second consecutive triple digit gain in October]]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_contract_awards_provide_relief_in_the_wake_of_ISG_collapse Construction contract awards provide relief in the wake of ISG collapse]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/London_construction_cools_as_hotspots_appear_nationally London construction cools as hotspots appear nationally]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Election_fails_to_spark_construction_industry_revival Election fails to spark construction industry revival]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Planning_approvals_increased_by_20%25_in_June_ahead_of_Labour%E2%80%99s_new_drive_for_housebuilding Planning approvals increased by 20% in June ahead of Labour’s new drive for housebuilding]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_contract_awards_jump_to_%C2%A37.3bn_in_May_as_uncertainty_continues Construction contract awards jump to £7.3bn in May as uncertainty continues]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Homeowners_turn_to_green_energy_upgrades_as_home_improvement_activity_declines Homeowners turn to green energy upgrades as home improvement activity declines]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year New engineering data shows over £52bn of projects were awarded to top 50 firms in the last] [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year year]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year [1]][https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Residential_takes_the_reins_as_contract_awards_even_out Residential] [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Residential_takes_the_reins_as_contract_awards_even_out takes the reins from infrastructure as contract awards even out]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_industry_revs_engines_in_January Construction industry revs engines in January]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/UK_Construction_saw_an_%C2%A311.1bn_fall_in_spending_in_2023 UK Construction saw an £11.1bn fall in spending in 2023]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Education_and_Health_applications_shine_in_subdued_construction_October_market Education and Health applications shine in subdued construction October market]
* [[Subdued_planning_environment_figures_provide_scant_hope_for_house-building_targets|Subdued planning environment figures provide scant hope for house-building targets]]
* [[April_turn_for_the_worse,_for_construction,_as_market_seesawing_continues|April turn for the worse, for construction, as market seesawing continues]]
* [[New_energy_rules,_a_threat_to_towns_and_cities_across_UK|New energy rules, a threat to towns and cities across UK]]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Infrastructure_tumbles,_adding_to_construction_industry_woes Infrastructure tumbles, adding to construction industry woes]

UK Construction contract spending up 69 percent at the start of 2025

2025-02-21T11:44:36Z

Barbour ABI:

UK Construction contract spending up 69% in new year

* Positive news following a bleak PMI Index report last week
* new construction orders reached nearly 8.4bn in January
* Residential contracts up £900billion on December
* Infrastructure projects remain a key comment in 2025 predictions

Spending on new construction orders reached nearly 8.4bn in January in an upbeat start to the year for construction – a 69% increase on December. The analysis follows analysis last month from Barbour ABI that contract awards were up 15% up in 2024.

The figures provide a silver lining after the S&P Global purchasing managers’ index (PMI) showed a fall in on-the-ground construction output in January.

The residential sector bounced back from a disappointing finish to 2024 to see a January total of just under £2.5bn, up £900million on previous month. A £180million development at Devonshire Garden in Cambridge led the surge with Morgan Sindall set to carry out the works.

Meanwhile infrastructure awards were up 7% on previous month and 13% on same month last year. The renewable energy sector played a role including contracts awarded at Immingham Green Energy Terminal at a cost of £170m.

“A great start to the year with contract awards augurs well for 2025,” said Barbour ABI Head of Business and Client Analytics, Ed Griffiths. “This suggests that the downturn highlighted in the recent PMI index could be short-lived, with new work on the horizon.

[[File:Barbour_ABI_-_Monthly_contract_awards_by_sector_%28February_2025%29.png|link=File:Barbour_ABI_-_Monthly_contract_awards_by_sector_(February_2025).png]]

“A further fall in interest rates announced this week will also add to increased confidence from investors, although the news is tempered by a fall in projected UK GDP. Although growth is expected for 2025 it will be at the lower end in the built environment.”

Meanwhile the latest planning application figures remained flat with a 2% increase between November and December 2024. Although there was little movement overall, individual sectors did see significant rise and falls.

[[File:Barbour_ABI_-_Monthly_planning_applications_by_sector_%28February_2025%29.png|link=File:Barbour_ABI_-_Monthly_planning_applications_by_sector_(February_2025).png]]

December was a strong month for the infrastructure sector with a 35% increase in the value of applications. The top application was the 840MW Botley West Solar Project. The North East saw a strong recovery from a weak November rising to £540m. The largest application was a 1000MW Battery Storage Project.

“Our recent industry performance review highlighted how infrastructure sustained the sector in 2024. Planning applications at year-end suggest this trend could continue into 2025, with green energy at the forefront,” said Griffiths.

“However, uncertainty remains high, and the industry will be hoping that falling interest rates finally lead to an increase in project submissions.”

-- Barbour ABI

UK Construction contract spending up 69 percent at the start of 2025

2025-02-21T11:43:54Z

Barbour ABI: Created page with "UK Construction contract spending up 69% in new year * Positive news following a bleak PMI Index report last week * new construction orders reached nearly 8.4bn in January * Res..."

UK Construction contract spending up 69% in new year

* Positive news following a bleak PMI Index report last week
* new construction orders reached nearly 8.4bn in January
* Residential contracts up £900billion on December
* Infrastructure projects remain a key comment in 2025 predictions

Spending on new construction orders reached nearly 8.4bn in January in an upbeat start to the year for construction – a 69% increase on December. The analysis follows analysis last month from Barbour ABI that contract awards were up 15% up in 2024.

The figures provide a silver lining after the S&P Global purchasing managers’ index (PMI) showed a fall in on-the-ground construction output in January.

The residential sector bounced back from a disappointing finish to 2024 to see a January total of just under £2.5bn, up £900million on previous month. A £180million development at Devonshire Garden in Cambridge led the surge with Morgan Sindall set to carry out the works.

Meanwhile infrastructure awards were up 7% on previous month and 13% on same month last year. The renewable energy sector played a role including contracts awarded at Immingham Green Energy Terminal at a cost of £170m.

“A great start to the year with contract awards augurs well for 2025,” said Barbour ABI Head of Business and Client Analytics, Ed Griffiths. “This suggests that the downturn highlighted in the recent PMI index could be short-lived, with new work on the horizon.

[[File:Barbour ABI - Monthly contract awards by sector (February 2025).png]]

“A further fall in interest rates announced this week will also add to increased confidence from investors, although the news is tempered by a fall in projected UK GDP. Although growth is expected for 2025 it will be at the lower end in the built environment.”

Meanwhile the latest planning application figures remained flat with a 2% increase between November and December 2024. Although there was little movement overall, individual sectors did see significant rise and falls.

[[File:Barbour ABI - Monthly planning applications by sector (February 2025).png]]

December was a strong month for the infrastructure sector with a 35% increase in the value of applications. The top application was the 840MW Botley West Solar Project. The North East saw a strong recovery from a weak November rising to £540m. The largest application was a 1000MW Battery Storage Project.

“Our recent industry performance review highlighted how infrastructure sustained the sector in 2024. Planning applications at year-end suggest this trend could continue into 2025, with green energy at the forefront,” said Griffiths.

“However, uncertainty remains high, and the industry will be hoping that falling interest rates finally lead to an increase in project submissions.”

-- Barbour ABI

File:Barbour ABI - Monthly planning applications by sector (February 2025).png

2025-02-21T11:43:02Z

Barbour ABI: uploaded a new version of "File:Barbour ABI - Monthly planning applications by sector (February 2025).png": Source: Barbour ABI Snap Analysis (February)

File:Barbour ABI - Monthly planning applications by sector (February 2025).png

2025-02-21T11:41:37Z

Barbour ABI:

File:Barbour ABI - Monthly contract awards by sector (February 2025).png

2025-02-21T11:40:34Z

Barbour ABI: Source: Barbour ABI Snap Analysis (February 2025)

Source: Barbour ABI Snap Analysis (February 2025)

User:Barbour ABI

2024-11-18T10:55:26Z

Barbour ABI:

Barbour ABI was founded to support the UK construction industry – helping businesses to sustain and grow. We are the exclusive provider of New Orders Estimates to the Office for National Statistics and partner to the Infrastructure & Projects Authority in providing the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline.

As the market leading provider of construction project information, we strive to allow our clients to access the very best, most accurate and up-to-date data on construction projects and the key decision makers that are involved.

Not only do we generate construction project leads, but we also are able to inform the industry of the latest trends and developments using our data to analyse and form a complete picture of the past, present and future.

We consider current affairs and their impact on our industry, where the opportunities and threats lie, and therefore how our clients can future-proof themselves.

Our mission is to provide our clients with the best experience and that the service and product we provide is an extension of their own business and something they can’t do without.

-----
== Contributions ==

* [[Infrastructure_sector_posts_second_consecutive_triple_digit_gain_in_October|Infrastructure sector posts second consecutive triple digit gain in October]]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_contract_awards_provide_relief_in_the_wake_of_ISG_collapse Construction contract awards provide relief in the wake of ISG collapse]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/London_construction_cools_as_hotspots_appear_nationally London construction cools as hotspots appear nationally]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Election_fails_to_spark_construction_industry_revival Election fails to spark construction industry revival]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Planning_approvals_increased_by_20%25_in_June_ahead_of_Labour%E2%80%99s_new_drive_for_housebuilding Planning approvals increased by 20% in June ahead of Labour’s new drive for housebuilding]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_contract_awards_jump_to_%C2%A37.3bn_in_May_as_uncertainty_continues Construction contract awards jump to £7.3bn in May as uncertainty continues]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Homeowners_turn_to_green_energy_upgrades_as_home_improvement_activity_declines Homeowners turn to green energy upgrades as home improvement activity declines]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year New engineering data shows over £52bn of projects were awarded to top 50 firms in the last] [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year year]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year [1]][https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Residential_takes_the_reins_as_contract_awards_even_out Residential] [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Residential_takes_the_reins_as_contract_awards_even_out takes the reins from infrastructure as contract awards even out]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_industry_revs_engines_in_January Construction industry revs engines in January]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/UK_Construction_saw_an_%C2%A311.1bn_fall_in_spending_in_2023 UK Construction saw an £11.1bn fall in spending in 2023]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Education_and_Health_applications_shine_in_subdued_construction_October_market Education and Health applications shine in subdued construction October market]
* [[Subdued_planning_environment_figures_provide_scant_hope_for_house-building_targets|Subdued planning environment figures provide scant hope for house-building targets]]
* [[April_turn_for_the_worse,_for_construction,_as_market_seesawing_continues|April turn for the worse, for construction, as market seesawing continues]]
* [[New_energy_rules,_a_threat_to_towns_and_cities_across_UK|New energy rules, a threat to towns and cities across UK]]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Infrastructure_tumbles,_adding_to_construction_industry_woes Infrastructure tumbles, adding to construction industry woes]

Infrastructure sector posts second consecutive triple digit gain in October

2024-11-18T10:53:49Z

Barbour ABI:

[[File:Barbour_ABI_-_November_Green_energy_approvals_-_AI_generated.jpg|link=File:Barbour_ABI_-_November_Green_energy_approvals_-_AI_generated.jpg]]

* Approvals for green energy planning applications continue to go through the roof
* Approvals demonstrate the government’s commitment to green energy transition
* Residential contract awards are up 41% as housebuilding looks to growth.
* Commercial & Retail projects see a strong month for contract awards rising 189% to £1.1bn

Approval of infrastructure projects increased 298% in October, the second consecutive month the sector has posted triple digit gains. In September approvals were up 136%, according to construction analysts Barbour ABI.

The huge gains are driven by big movements in green energy projects. Five renewable energy projects, all over £100m in value, drove the October gain. Ossian Offshore Wind Farm 3.6GW is the largest of these projects at £3.6bn. In the previous month 700MW and 1000MW Battery Storage Projects in Scotland and the North East were behind the big numbers.

The UK’s largest infrastructure approvals in October were worth around £3.5billion and included:

* Ossian Offshore Wind Farm (3.6GW) - Scotland
* Stanlow HyNet Hydrogen Production Plant - North West
* Cottam Solar ProjectEast (600MW) - Midlands
* The Balk, Almholme - Solar Farm (49.9MW) and Energy Storage System - Yorkshire and Humber
* Bob Lane Battery Energy Storage System (264MW) - South East

Barbour ABI head of business and client analytics, Ed Griffiths said

“Another mega month for renewable energy approvals demonstrates the laser focus the Labour government has on driving through a green energy transition at all costs.

We’ve seen a string of massive approvals in recent months, including one of the largest solar farms on record. The government seems intent on leaving the flood gates open to these kinds of project, even as protests mount about their potential impact on the countryside.”

The wider construction industry saw 44% and 59% gains in monthly approvals. in September, brand new applications also appear to be following the trend with a 18% increase in infrastructure projects entering the planning system, led by a series of battery storage projects and wind farms.

== Contract Awards boost for housebuilders and commercial developers ==

Elsewhere housebuilding saw some positive signs as the government searches for ways to meet a 1.5million homes pledge. Whilst the overall value of contracts awarded for construction projects have remained stable, residential saw its highest month since January 2023 soaring 41% to £2.5bn, helped along by two projects totalling £540m in the North West.

Commercial & Retail projects saw a strong month for contract awards rising 189% to £1.1bn after the worst month this year in September with three projects in London worth over £100m help the sector.

In general, awards in October saw a decrease of 36% to £6.5bn returning to normal after an inflated September.

Griffiths continued: “Although we have seen a decrease in contract awards from last month, given the high value that came from a small number of projects, it is more realistically another flat month for awards overall.

The government's recent budget offered little in tackling the major risks to the industry. In fact, in a labour-intensive industry like construction, labour costs will likely increase putting more pressure on SME's.

The reform to apprenticeships under the new Growth and Skills Levy has the potential to help reduce the skills shortages but focus on construction apprenticeships will have to be pushed by the sector itself. Housebuilding and Infrastructure were areas of promise.

However, the number of housing starts and finishes has increased in recent months possibly showing an increased confidence in the sector.”

-- [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/User:Barbour_ABI Barbour ABI]

--[[User:Barbour ABI|Barbour ABI]] 10:53, 18 Nov 2024 (BST)

Infrastructure sector posts second consecutive triple digit gain in October

2024-11-18T10:52:42Z

Barbour ABI: Created page with "File:Barbour ABI - November Green energy approvals - AI generated.jpg * Approvals for green energy planning applications continue to go through the roof * Approvals demonstr..."

[[File:Barbour ABI - November Green energy approvals - AI generated.jpg]]

* Approvals for green energy planning applications continue to go through the roof
* Approvals demonstrate the government’s commitment to green energy transition
* Residential contract awards are up 41% as housebuilding looks to growth.
* Commercial & Retail projects see a strong month for contract awards rising 189% to £1.1bn

Approval of infrastructure projects increased 298% in October, the second consecutive month the sector has posted triple digit gains. In September approvals were up 136%, according to construction analysts Barbour ABI.

The huge gains are driven by big movements in green energy projects. Five renewable energy projects, all over £100m in value, drove the October gain. Ossian Offshore Wind Farm 3.6GW is the largest of these projects at £3.6bn. In the previous month 700MW and 1000MW Battery Storage Projects in Scotland and the North East were behind the big numbers.

The UK’s largest infrastructure approvals in October were worth around £3.5billion and included:

* Ossian Offshore Wind Farm (3.6GW) - Scotland
* Stanlow HyNet Hydrogen Production Plant - North West
* Cottam Solar ProjectEast (600MW) - Midlands
* The Balk, Almholme - Solar Farm (49.9MW) and Energy Storage System - Yorkshire and Humber
* Bob Lane Battery Energy Storage System (264MW) - South East

Barbour ABI head of business and client analytics, Ed Griffiths said

“Another mega month for renewable energy approvals demonstrates the laser focus the Labour government has on driving through a green energy transition at all costs.

We’ve seen a string of massive approvals in recent months, including one of the largest solar farms on record. The government seems intent on leaving the flood gates open to these kinds of project, even as protests mount about their potential impact on the countryside.”

The wider construction industry saw 44% and 59% gains in monthly approvals. in September, brand new applications also appear to be following the trend with a 18% increase in infrastructure projects entering the planning system, led by a series of battery storage projects and wind farms.

== Contract Awards boost for housebuilders and commercial developers ==

Elsewhere housebuilding saw some positive signs as the government searches for ways to meet a 1.5million homes pledge. Whilst the overall value of contracts awarded for construction projects have remained stable, residential saw its highest month since January 2023 soaring 41% to £2.5bn, helped along by two projects totalling £540m in the North West.

Commercial & Retail projects saw a strong month for contract awards rising 189% to £1.1bn after the worst month this year in September with three projects in London worth over £100m help the sector.

In general, awards in October saw a decrease of 36% to £6.5bn returning to normal after an inflated September.

Griffiths continued: “Although we have seen a decrease in contract awards from last month, given the high value that came from a small number of projects, it is more realistically another flat month for awards overall.

The government's recent budget offered little in tackling the major risks to the industry. In fact, in a labour-intensive industry like construction, labour costs will likely increase putting more pressure on SME's.

The reform to apprenticeships under the new Growth and Skills Levy has the potential to help reduce the skills shortages but focus on construction apprenticeships will have to be pushed by the sector itself. Housebuilding and Infrastructure were areas of promise.

However, the number of housing starts and finishes has increased in recent months possibly showing an increased confidence in the sector.”

-- [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/User:Barbour_ABI Barbour ABI]

File:Barbour ABI - November Green energy approvals - AI generated.jpg

2024-11-18T10:51:06Z

Barbour ABI: AI generated image of several wind turbines in green fields.

AI generated image of several wind turbines in green fields.

User:Barbour ABI

2024-10-09T12:43:26Z

Barbour ABI:

Barbour ABI was founded to support the UK construction industry – helping businesses to sustain and grow. We are the exclusive provider of New Orders Estimates to the Office for National Statistics and partner to the Infrastructure & Projects Authority in providing the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline.

As the market leading provider of construction project information, we strive to allow our clients to access the very best, most accurate and up-to-date data on construction projects and the key decision makers that are involved.

Not only do we generate construction project leads, but we also are able to inform the industry of the latest trends and developments using our data to analyse and form a complete picture of the past, present and future.

We consider current affairs and their impact on our industry, where the opportunities and threats lie, and therefore how our clients can future-proof themselves.

Our mission is to provide our clients with the best experience and that the service and product we provide is an extension of their own business and something they can’t do without.

-----
== Contributions ==

* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_contract_awards_provide_relief_in_the_wake_of_ISG_collapse Construction contract awards provide relief in the wake of ISG collapse]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/London_construction_cools_as_hotspots_appear_nationally London construction cools as hotspots appear nationally]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Election_fails_to_spark_construction_industry_revival Election fails to spark construction industry revival]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Planning_approvals_increased_by_20%25_in_June_ahead_of_Labour%E2%80%99s_new_drive_for_housebuilding Planning approvals increased by 20% in June ahead of Labour’s new drive for housebuilding]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_contract_awards_jump_to_%C2%A37.3bn_in_May_as_uncertainty_continues Construction contract awards jump to £7.3bn in May as uncertainty continues]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Homeowners_turn_to_green_energy_upgrades_as_home_improvement_activity_declines Homeowners turn to green energy upgrades as home improvement activity declines]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year New engineering data shows over £52bn of projects were awarded to top 50 firms in the last] [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year year]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year [1]][https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Residential_takes_the_reins_as_contract_awards_even_out Residential] [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Residential_takes_the_reins_as_contract_awards_even_out takes the reins from infrastructure as contract awards even out]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_industry_revs_engines_in_January Construction industry revs engines in January]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/UK_Construction_saw_an_%C2%A311.1bn_fall_in_spending_in_2023 UK Construction saw an £11.1bn fall in spending in 2023]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Education_and_Health_applications_shine_in_subdued_construction_October_market Education and Health applications shine in subdued construction October market]
* [[Subdued_planning_environment_figures_provide_scant_hope_for_house-building_targets|Subdued planning environment figures provide scant hope for house-building targets]]
* [[April_turn_for_the_worse,_for_construction,_as_market_seesawing_continues|April turn for the worse, for construction, as market seesawing continues]]
* [[New_energy_rules,_a_threat_to_towns_and_cities_across_UK|New energy rules, a threat to towns and cities across UK]]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Infrastructure_tumbles,_adding_to_construction_industry_woes Infrastructure tumbles, adding to construction industry woes]

Construction contract awards provide relief in the wake of ISG collapse

2024-10-09T12:42:40Z

Barbour ABI:

[[File:Barbour_ABI_-_Sunrise.jpg|link=File:Barbour_ABI_-_Sunrise.jpg]]

* Large spike in contract awards driven by major infrastructure projects suggests negative effects of ISG collapse are still to come
* Residential development is on the rise but still falls way short of housing targets
* Infrastructure saw the largest gain in planning approvals with an increase of 136%

Contracts awarded for construction projects in the UK were up 76% to £10.7bn in September, thanks to two large infrastructure projects in the form of the Hornsea Offshore Wind Farm (£3.6bn) and the East Birmingham to Solihull Metro Extension (£735m).

Without these major projects, contract awards remain roughly in line with previous months, according to analysis by Barbour ABI. This shows that the impact of ISG’s collapse in September has yet to fully impact the sector.

The industrial sector, where much of ISG’s on-site work resided, saw the largest proportional increase at 289% to £1.2bn after a dip in recent months. Almost half of this value came from the £500m Gigafactory in the Southwest.

However, Barbour ABI sounded a cautious note about the future.

“Looking forward, there continue to be some key risks to growth in the construction sector; continuing materials price inflation, skills shortages and an ageing demographic of construction workers,” said Barbour ABI head of business and client analytics, Ed Griffiths. “Additionally, construction insolvencies are at their highest level since the financial crisis of 2008. Notably, this month saw Tier 1 contractor ISG fall into administration.”

“ISG’s headline-grabbing work on 69 ongoing central government projects is just the tip of the iceberg when you look at the full data set of the company’s contract portfolio. The ripple effect will be extremely worrying for the sector.”

[[File:October_2024_-_Monthly_planning_applications_by_sector.png|link=File:October_2024_-_Monthly_planning_applications_by_sector.png]]

Sector continues to grapple with new housing targets

Residential contracts were rising in September, up 14% alongside a 9% increase in approvals. However, Barbour ABI found new figures released by the Government showed the extent of the challenge ahead for meeting housing targets.

“Analysis of the government’s latest housing supply data shows starts in Q2 were down significantly compared to the same period last year, with approximately 23k starts compared to 66k in 2023,” said Griffiths. “Average completions over the past four quarters would add up to around 812k homes over five years should current levels continue. Well short of the 1.5m target set by the Government for this parliamentary period.”

[[File:October_2024_-_Monthly_contract_awards_by_sector.png|link=File:October_2024_-_Monthly_contract_awards_by_sector.png]]

== Planning approvals are up ==

Planning approvals increased by 44% in September to £7.9bn, following a disappointing August.

Infrastructure saw the largest gain of 136% to £1.7bn, its highest month since October 2023. Highlights included 700MW and 1000MW Battery Storage Projects in Scotland and the North East respectively.

While application values for August were low, falling 45% to a total of £6.5bn, the decrease was made more dramatic by a high July boosted by large energy projects. This is shown by a monthly decrease of 78% in Infrastructure.

Griffiths added: “Planning figures returned to a more normal trajectory in August following a bumper July. This will be a key area to watch going forward to see if the ISG collapse has affected overall market appetite for new projects.”

[[File:October_2024_-_Monthly_planning_approvals_by_sector.png|link=File:October_2024_-_Monthly_planning_approvals_by_sector.png]]

--[[User:Barbour ABI|Barbour ABI]] 13:42, 09 Oct 2024 (BST)

Construction contract awards provide relief in the wake of ISG collapse

2024-10-09T12:40:43Z

Barbour ABI: Created page with "File:Barbour ABI - Sunrise.jpg * Large spike in contract awards driven by major infrastructure projects suggests negative effects of ISG collapse are still to come * Residen..."

[[File:Barbour ABI - Sunrise.jpg]]

* Large spike in contract awards driven by major infrastructure projects suggests negative effects of ISG collapse are still to come
* Residential development is on the rise but still falls way short of housing targets
* Infrastructure saw the largest gain in planning approvals with an increase of 136%

Contracts awarded for construction projects in the UK were up 76% to £10.7bn in September, thanks to two large infrastructure projects in the form of the Hornsea Offshore Wind Farm (£3.6bn) and the East Birmingham to Solihull Metro Extension (£735m).

Without these major projects, contract awards remain roughly in line with previous months, according to analysis by Barbour ABI. This shows that the impact of ISG’s collapse in September has yet to fully impact the sector.

The industrial sector, where much of ISG’s on-site work resided, saw the largest proportional increase at 289% to £1.2bn after a dip in recent months. Almost half of this value came from the £500m Gigafactory in the Southwest.

However, Barbour ABI sounded a cautious note about the future.

“Looking forward, there continue to be some key risks to growth in the construction sector; continuing materials price inflation, skills shortages and an ageing demographic of construction workers,” said Barbour ABI head of business and client analytics, Ed Griffiths. “Additionally, construction insolvencies are at their highest level since the financial crisis of 2008. Notably, this month saw Tier 1 contractor ISG fall into administration.”

“ISG’s headline-grabbing work on 69 ongoing central government projects is just the tip of the iceberg when you look at the full data set of the company’s contract portfolio. The ripple effect will be extremely worrying for the sector.”

[[File:October 2024 - Monthly planning applications by sector.png]]

Sector continues to grapple with new housing targets

Residential contracts were rising in September, up 14% alongside a 9% increase in approvals. However, Barbour ABI found new figures released by the Government showed the extent of the challenge ahead for meeting housing targets.

“Analysis of the government’s latest housing supply data shows starts in Q2 were down significantly compared to the same period last year, with approximately 23k starts compared to 66k in 2023,” said Griffiths. “Average completions over the past four quarters would add up to around 812k homes over five years should current levels continue. Well short of the 1.5m target set by the Government for this parliamentary period.”

[[File:October 2024 - Monthly contract awards by sector.png]]

== Planning approvals are up ==

Planning approvals increased by 44% in September to £7.9bn, following a disappointing August.

Infrastructure saw the largest gain of 136% to £1.7bn, its highest month since October 2023. Highlights included 700MW and 1000MW Battery Storage Projects in Scotland and the North East respectively.

While application values for August were low, falling 45% to a total of £6.5bn, the decrease was made more dramatic by a high July boosted by large energy projects. This is shown by a monthly decrease of 78% in Infrastructure.

Griffiths added: “Planning figures returned to a more normal trajectory in August following a bumper July. This will be a key area to watch going forward to see if the ISG collapse has affected overall market appetite for new projects.”

[[File:October 2024 - Monthly planning approvals by sector.png]]

File:Barbour ABI - Sunrise.jpg

2024-10-09T12:40:24Z

Barbour ABI: uploaded a new version of "File:Barbour ABI - Sunrise.jpg"

Construction site at Sunrise

File:October 2024 - Monthly planning approvals by sector.png

2024-10-09T12:39:45Z

Barbour ABI:

File:October 2024 - Monthly planning applications by sector.png

2024-10-09T12:38:15Z

Barbour ABI:

File:October 2024 - Monthly contract awards by sector.png

2024-10-09T12:37:39Z

Barbour ABI:

London construction cools as hotspots appear nationally

2024-09-16T10:50:51Z

Barbour ABI:

[[File:Barbour_ABI_-_Hotspots_report.jpg|link=File:Barbour_ABI_-_Hotspots_report.jpg]]

* London saw a fall in construction contracts spending of 18.5% in 2023. The Southeast saw a fall of 17.6%.
* New hotspots appear in East of England, Yorkshire and Scotland

Analysis conducted by Barbour ABI and the Construction Products Association (CPA) has revealed that construction spending is seeing a geographic shift as the industry recovers following the post-pandemic period and the infamous Liz Truss mini-budget.

Comparing ONS figures from 2022 with contract awards data from 2023, researchers discovered spending shifting away from traditional construction powerhouses in London and the Southeast, with new hotspots in construction activity appearing all over Great Britain.

Barbour ABI’s head of business and client analytics, Ed Griffiths said: “There are clear hotspots for upcoming construction activity over the next 6-24 months, with hotspots outnumbering coldspots, where activity has gone down, by almost three-to-one overall and six-to-one for infrastructure.

Encouragingly, regions with hotspots were spread across Great Britain and hotspots outnumbered coldspots in all regions of Great Britain.”

London and the Southeast, which have seen the highest spending on construction in the UK, saw contract awards reduce by 18.5% and 17.6% respectively – wiping out gains made in 2022. Westminster, traditionally responsible for one of London's biggest spending shares, took a 20% hit along with Berkshire (39%) and West Surrey (32%) in the Southeast.

Meanwhile, Manchester was in the top 10 largest regions in terms of the value of contracts awarded in 2023. However, this was 18% lower than a year earlier.

== New winners across the UK ==

-----
Analysts found contract awards growth of 7.9% in the East of England, with Cambridge, Suffolk and the Essex regions all registering double or triple digit increases. Yorkshire and the Humber also registered a 0.8% increase with Leeds a notable hotspot with a 23.7% increase and Lincolnshire seeing a 159.1% increase.

Perhaps the most interesting figures came in Scotland, which saw a 32% increase in contract Awards. This included the Scottish Boarders, which recorded the highest increase in the UK at 374.3% and Glasgow, which rose 30%.

“Overall contract awards remained stable at a national level, but looking at a more granular level reveals stark differences in regional performance with growth rates ranging between +374% and -95%. What we can say is that the post-pandemic boom initially focused itself on London and the Southeast is finally showing signs of trickling out to the rest of the UK.

This will come as a relief for more regionally focused businesses and a signal to contractors that it may be time to start looking outside of the big powerhouse areas for more projects to add to their pipeline.”

Overall, the report found 82 construction hotspots in the UK compared to just 31 coldspots, with 29 hotspots related to infrastructure projects.

You can download the Regional Construction Hotspots in Great Britain report [https://www.try-barbour-abi.com/construction-hotspots-report/ here].

=== Notes to editors ===

-----
Regional Awards growth

{|
| Region
| Contract Awards Growth in 2023
|-
| Scotland
| 32.00%
|-
| East of England
| 7.90%
|-
| Yorkshire and Humber
| 0.80%
|-
| North West
| -7.50%
|-
| North East
| -7.70%
|-
| East Midlands
| -8.30%
|-
| West Midlands
| -10.30%
|-
| South East
| -17.60%
|-
| London
| -18.50%
|-
| Wales
| -28.30%
|-
| UK Average
| -0.80%
|}

--[[User:Barbour_ABI|Barbour ABI]] 11:50, 16 Sep 2024 (BST)

London construction cools as hotspots appear nationally

2024-09-16T10:50:23Z

Barbour ABI:

[[File:Barbour_ABI_-_Hotspots_report.jpg|link=File:Barbour_ABI_-_Hotspots_report.jpg]]

* London saw a fall in construction contracts spending of 18.5% in 2023. The Southeast saw a fall of 17.6%.
* New hotspots appear in East of England, Yorkshire and Scotland

Analysis conducted by Barbour ABI and the Construction Products Association (CPA) has revealed that construction spending is seeing a geographic shift as the industry recovers following the post-pandemic period and the infamous Liz Truss mini-budget.

Comparing ONS figures from 2022 with contract awards data from 2023, researchers discovered spending shifting away from traditional construction powerhouses in London and the Southeast, with new hotspots in construction activity appearing all over Great Britain.

Barbour ABI’s head of business and client analytics, Ed Griffiths said: “There are clear hotspots for upcoming construction activity over the next 6-24 months, with hotspots outnumbering coldspots, where activity has gone down, by almost three-to-one overall and six-to-one for infrastructure.

Encouragingly, regions with hotspots were spread across Great Britain and hotspots outnumbered coldspots in all regions of Great Britain.”

London and the Southeast, which have seen the highest spending on construction in the UK, saw contract awards reduce by 18.5% and 17.6% respectively – wiping out gains made in 2022. Westminster, traditionally responsible for one of London's biggest spending shares, took a 20% hit along with Berkshire (39%) and West Surrey (32%) in the Southeast.

Meanwhile, Manchester was in the top 10 largest regions in terms of the value of contracts awarded in 2023. However, this was 18% lower than a year earlier.

== New winners across the UK ==

-----
Analysts found contract awards growth of 7.9% in the East of England, with Cambridge, Suffolk and the Essex regions all registering double or triple digit increases. Yorkshire and the Humber also registered a 0.8% increase with Leeds a notable hotspot with a 23.7% increase and Lincolnshire seeing a 159.1% increase.

Perhaps the most interesting figures came in Scotland, which saw a 32% increase in contract Awards. This included the Scottish Boarders, which recorded the highest increase in the UK at 374.3% and Glasgow, which rose 30%.

“Overall contract awards remained stable at a national level, but looking at a more granular level reveals stark differences in regional performance with growth rates ranging between +374% and -95%. What we can say is that the post-pandemic boom initially focused itself on London and the Southeast is finally showing signs of trickling out to the rest of the UK.

This will come as a relief for more regionally focused businesses and a signal to contractors that it may be time to start looking outside of the big powerhouse areas for more projects to add to their pipeline.”

Overall, the report found 82 construction hotspots in the UK compared to just 31 coldspots, with 29 hotspots related to infrastructure projects.

You can download the Regional Construction Hotspots in Great Britain report [https://www.try-barbour-abi.com/construction-hotspots-report/ here].

Notes to editors

-----
Regional Awards growth

{|
| Region
| Contract Awards Growth in 2023
|-
| Scotland
| 32.00%
|-
| East of England
| 7.90%
|-
| Yorkshire and Humber
| 0.80%
|-
| North West
| -7.50%
|-
| North East
| -7.70%
|-
| East Midlands
| -8.30%
|-
| West Midlands
| -10.30%
|-
| South East
| -17.60%
|-
| London
| -18.50%
|-
| Wales
| -28.30%
|-
| UK Average
| -0.80%
|}

--[[User:Barbour ABI|Barbour ABI]] 11:50, 16 Sep 2024 (BST)

User:Barbour ABI

2024-09-16T10:50:05Z

Barbour ABI:

Barbour ABI was founded to support the UK construction industry – helping businesses to sustain and grow. We are the exclusive provider of New Orders Estimates to the Office for National Statistics and partner to the Infrastructure & Projects Authority in providing the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline.

As the market leading provider of construction project information, we strive to allow our clients to access the very best, most accurate and up-to-date data on construction projects and the key decision makers that are involved.

Not only do we generate construction project leads, but we also are able to inform the industry of the latest trends and developments using our data to analyse and form a complete picture of the past, present and future.

We consider current affairs and their impact on our industry, where the opportunities and threats lie, and therefore how our clients can future-proof themselves.

Our mission is to provide our clients with the best experience and that the service and product we provide is an extension of their own business and something they can’t do without.

-----
== Contributions ==

* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/London_construction_cools_as_hotspots_appear_nationally London construction cools as hotspots appear nationally]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Election_fails_to_spark_construction_industry_revival Election fails to spark construction industry revival]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Planning_approvals_increased_by_20%25_in_June_ahead_of_Labour%E2%80%99s_new_drive_for_housebuilding Planning approvals increased by 20% in June ahead of Labour’s new drive for housebuilding]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_contract_awards_jump_to_%C2%A37.3bn_in_May_as_uncertainty_continues Construction contract awards jump to £7.3bn in May as uncertainty continues]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Homeowners_turn_to_green_energy_upgrades_as_home_improvement_activity_declines Homeowners turn to green energy upgrades as home improvement activity declines]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year New engineering data shows over £52bn of projects were awarded to top 50 firms in the last] [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year year]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year [1]][https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Residential_takes_the_reins_as_contract_awards_even_out Residential] [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Residential_takes_the_reins_as_contract_awards_even_out takes the reins from infrastructure as contract awards even out]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_industry_revs_engines_in_January Construction industry revs engines in January]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/UK_Construction_saw_an_%C2%A311.1bn_fall_in_spending_in_2023 UK Construction saw an £11.1bn fall in spending in 2023]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Education_and_Health_applications_shine_in_subdued_construction_October_market Education and Health applications shine in subdued construction October market]
* [[Subdued_planning_environment_figures_provide_scant_hope_for_house-building_targets|Subdued planning environment figures provide scant hope for house-building targets]]
* [[April_turn_for_the_worse,_for_construction,_as_market_seesawing_continues|April turn for the worse, for construction, as market seesawing continues]]
* [[New_energy_rules,_a_threat_to_towns_and_cities_across_UK|New energy rules, a threat to towns and cities across UK]]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Infrastructure_tumbles,_adding_to_construction_industry_woes Infrastructure tumbles, adding to construction industry woes]

London construction cools as hotspots appear nationally

2024-09-16T10:49:19Z

Barbour ABI: Created page with "File:Barbour ABI - Hotspots report.jpg * London saw a fall in construction contracts spending of 18.5% in 2023. The Southeast saw a fall of 17.6%. * New hotspots appear in E..."

[[File:Barbour ABI - Hotspots report.jpg]]

* London saw a fall in construction contracts spending of 18.5% in 2023. The Southeast saw a fall of 17.6%.
* New hotspots appear in East of England, Yorkshire and Scotland

Analysis conducted by Barbour ABI and the Construction Products Association (CPA) has revealed that construction spending is seeing a geographic shift as the industry recovers following the post-pandemic period and the infamous Liz Truss mini-budget.

Comparing ONS figures from 2022 with contract awards data from 2023, researchers discovered spending shifting away from traditional construction powerhouses in London and the Southeast, with new hotspots in construction activity appearing all over Great Britain.

Barbour ABI’s head of business and client analytics, Ed Griffiths said: “There are clear hotspots for upcoming construction activity over the next 6-24 months, with hotspots outnumbering coldspots, where activity has gone down, by almost three-to-one overall and six-to-one for infrastructure.

Encouragingly, regions with hotspots were spread across Great Britain and hotspots outnumbered coldspots in all regions of Great Britain.”

London and the Southeast, which have seen the highest spending on construction in the UK, saw contract awards reduce by 18.5% and 17.6% respectively – wiping out gains made in 2022. Westminster, traditionally responsible for one of London's biggest spending shares, took a 20% hit along with Berkshire (39%) and West Surrey (32%) in the Southeast.

Meanwhile, Manchester was in the top 10 largest regions in terms of the value of contracts awarded in 2023. However, this was 18% lower than a year earlier.

== New winners across the UK ==

-----
Analysts found contract awards growth of 7.9% in the East of England, with Cambridge, Suffolk and the Essex regions all registering double or triple digit increases. Yorkshire and the Humber also registered a 0.8% increase with Leeds a notable hotspot with a 23.7% increase and Lincolnshire seeing a 159.1% increase.

Perhaps the most interesting figures came in Scotland, which saw a 32% increase in contract Awards. This included the Scottish Boarders, which recorded the highest increase in the UK at 374.3% and Glasgow, which rose 30%.

“Overall contract awards remained stable at a national level, but looking at a more granular level reveals stark differences in regional performance with growth rates ranging between +374% and -95%. What we can say is that the post-pandemic boom initially focused itself on London and the Southeast is finally showing signs of trickling out to the rest of the UK.

This will come as a relief for more regionally focused businesses and a signal to contractors that it may be time to start looking outside of the big powerhouse areas for more projects to add to their pipeline.”

Overall, the report found 82 construction hotspots in the UK compared to just 31 coldspots, with 29 hotspots related to infrastructure projects.

You can download the Regional Construction Hotspots in Great Britain report [https://www.try-barbour-abi.com/construction-hotspots-report/ here].

Notes to editors

-----
Regional Awards growth

{|
|width="50%"| Region
|width="50%"| Contract Awards Growth in 2023
|-
| Scotland
| 32.00%
|-
| East of England
| 7.90%
|-
| Yorkshire and Humber
| 0.80%
|-
| North West
| -7.50%
|-
| North East
| -7.70%
|-
| East Midlands
| -8.30%
|-
| West Midlands
| -10.30%
|-
| South East
| -17.60%
|-
| London
| -18.50%
|-
| Wales
| -28.30%
|-
| UK Average
| -0.80%
|}

File:Barbour ABI - Hotspots report.jpg

2024-09-16T10:49:01Z

Barbour ABI:

User:Barbour ABI

2024-08-21T16:07:29Z

Barbour ABI:

Barbour ABI was founded to support the UK construction industry – helping businesses to sustain and grow. We are the exclusive provider of New Orders Estimates to the Office for National Statistics and partner to the Infrastructure & Projects Authority in providing the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline.

As the market leading provider of construction project information, we strive to allow our clients to access the very best, most accurate and up-to-date data on construction projects and the key decision makers that are involved.

Not only do we generate construction project leads, but we also are able to inform the industry of the latest trends and developments using our data to analyse and form a complete picture of the past, present and future.

We consider current affairs and their impact on our industry, where the opportunities and threats lie, and therefore how our clients can future-proof themselves.

Our mission is to provide our clients with the best experience and that the service and product we provide is an extension of their own business and something they can’t do without.

-----
== Contributions ==

* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Election_fails_to_spark_construction_industry_revival Election fails to spark construction industry revival]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Planning_approvals_increased_by_20%25_in_June_ahead_of_Labour%E2%80%99s_new_drive_for_housebuilding Planning approvals increased by 20% in June ahead of Labour’s new drive for housebuilding]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_contract_awards_jump_to_%C2%A37.3bn_in_May_as_uncertainty_continues Construction contract awards jump to £7.3bn in May as uncertainty continues]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Homeowners_turn_to_green_energy_upgrades_as_home_improvement_activity_declines Homeowners turn to green energy upgrades as home improvement activity declines]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year New engineering data shows over £52bn of projects were awarded to top 50 firms in the last] [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year year]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year [1]][https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Residential_takes_the_reins_as_contract_awards_even_out Residential] [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Residential_takes_the_reins_as_contract_awards_even_out takes the reins from infrastructure as contract awards even out]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_industry_revs_engines_in_January Construction industry revs engines in January]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/UK_Construction_saw_an_%C2%A311.1bn_fall_in_spending_in_2023 UK Construction saw an £11.1bn fall in spending in 2023]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Education_and_Health_applications_shine_in_subdued_construction_October_market Education and Health applications shine in subdued construction October market]
* [[Subdued_planning_environment_figures_provide_scant_hope_for_house-building_targets|Subdued planning environment figures provide scant hope for house-building targets]]
* [[April_turn_for_the_worse,_for_construction,_as_market_seesawing_continues|April turn for the worse, for construction, as market seesawing continues]]
* [[New_energy_rules,_a_threat_to_towns_and_cities_across_UK|New energy rules, a threat to towns and cities across UK]]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Infrastructure_tumbles,_adding_to_construction_industry_woes Infrastructure tumbles, adding to construction industry woes]

Election fails to spark construction industry revival

2024-08-21T16:06:42Z

Barbour ABI:

= [[File:Barbour_ABI_-_Construction.jpg|link=File:Barbour_ABI_-_Construction.jpg]]Election fails to spark construction industry revival =

* Contract Awards 20% down on 2023 in July
* Planning approvals decrease in challenge for new government – housing 16% down from month before

Labour’s election victory was not enough to kickstart project activity in construction in July. Contract Awards, where businesses are formally chosen as suppliers for projects, remained 20% down compared to July 2023.

[[File:Barbour_ABI_-_Contract_Awards_2_-_July_2024.png|link=File:Barbour_ABI_-_Contract_Awards_2_-_July_2024.png]]

Ed Griffiths, head of business and client analytics at construction analysts, Barbour ABI said:

“Despite some promising energy projects, we have yet to see a significant increase in Residential and Infrastructure awards that we might expect with the new government in the coming year.

“Though there were increases in Residential and Medical & Healthcare both come from poor previous months. The largest project in Residential is the 564 flat £140m Green Quarter development in London.”

Meanwhile, almost 75% of all Commercial and Retail awards occurred in London with the £200m Lansdowne House mixed development topping these awards. Elsewhere, the East Midlands saw a 168% increase in Contract Awards from last month with a £120m battery storage system making up around 16% of all awards in the region.

= Planning approvals will be a key indicator for new government =

Planning approvals decreased by 9% in July totalling £8.8bn, a 36% decrease from a highly productive July 2023, although infrastructure bucked the trend with a big increase from June.

“Infrastructure planning approvals will be of particular interest as an area where Labour can have a more direct and immediate influence,” said Griffiths. “The top approval for Infrastructure in July was the £200m Medway One Energy Hub followed by two 400MW battery storage facilities. Ed Miliband’s headline grabbing approval of several large solar panel projects will likely have a big impact in next month’s figures.”

“We will also be tracking residential approvals over the coming months to see the effect of new housing policies on the planning system. Housing project approvals actually fell 16% from July – a figure Labour will hope is an aberration rather than a long-term trend.”

[[File:Barbour_ABI_-_Planning_Approvals_2_-_July_2024.png|link=File:Barbour_ABI_-_Planning_Approvals_2_-_July_2024.png]]

= Planning applications on pause =

Analysis of planning applications in June, ahead of the general election, highlighted an industry on pause, with overall application value is down 32% from June 2023, its lowest for over 18 months.

“The next available set of data for applications with cover election month and it will be interesting to see if businesses were feeling brave enough to commit to future projects in the wake of Keir Starmer’s victory” concluded Griffiths.

[[File:Barbour_ABI_-_Planning_applications_2-_July_2024.png|link=File:Barbour_ABI_-_Planning_applications_2-_July_2024.png]]

--[[User:Barbour ABI|Barbour ABI]] 17:06, 21 Aug 2024 (BST)

Election fails to spark construction industry revival

2024-08-21T16:06:01Z

Barbour ABI:

= [[File:Barbour ABI - Construction.jpg]]Election fails to spark construction industry revival =

* Contract Awards 20% down on 2023 in July
* Planning approvals decrease in challenge for new government – housing 16% down from month before

Labour’s election victory was not enough to kickstart project activity in construction in July. Contract Awards, where businesses are formally chosen as suppliers for projects, remained 20% down compared to July 2023.

[[File:Barbour_ABI_-_Contract_Awards_2_-_July_2024.png|link=File:Barbour_ABI_-_Contract_Awards_2_-_July_2024.png]]

Ed Griffiths, head of business and client analytics at construction analysts, Barbour ABI said:

“Despite some promising energy projects, we have yet to see a significant increase in Residential and Infrastructure awards that we might expect with the new government in the coming year.

“Though there were increases in Residential and Medical & Healthcare both come from poor previous months. The largest project in Residential is the 564 flat £140m Green Quarter development in London.”

Meanwhile, almost 75% of all Commercial and Retail awards occurred in London with the £200m Lansdowne House mixed development topping these awards. Elsewhere, the East Midlands saw a 168% increase in Contract Awards from last month with a £120m battery storage system making up around 16% of all awards in the region.

= Planning approvals will be a key indicator for new government =

Planning approvals decreased by 9% in July totalling £8.8bn, a 36% decrease from a highly productive July 2023, although infrastructure bucked the trend with a big increase from June.

“Infrastructure planning approvals will be of particular interest as an area where Labour can have a more direct and immediate influence,” said Griffiths. “The top approval for Infrastructure in July was the £200m Medway One Energy Hub followed by two 400MW battery storage facilities. Ed Miliband’s headline grabbing approval of several large solar panel projects will likely have a big impact in next month’s figures.”

“We will also be tracking residential approvals over the coming months to see the effect of new housing policies on the planning system. Housing project approvals actually fell 16% from July – a figure Labour will hope is an aberration rather than a long-term trend.”

[[File:Barbour_ABI_-_Planning_Approvals_2_-_July_2024.png|link=File:Barbour_ABI_-_Planning_Approvals_2_-_July_2024.png]]

= Planning applications on pause =

Analysis of planning applications in June, ahead of the general election, highlighted an industry on pause, with overall application value is down 32% from June 2023, its lowest for over 18 months.

“The next available set of data for applications with cover election month and it will be interesting to see if businesses were feeling brave enough to commit to future projects in the wake of Keir Starmer’s victory” concluded Griffiths.

[[File:Barbour_ABI_-_Planning_applications_2-_July_2024.png|link=File:Barbour_ABI_-_Planning_applications_2-_July_2024.png]]

File:Barbour ABI - Construction.jpg

2024-08-21T16:05:02Z

Barbour ABI:

Election fails to spark construction industry revival

2024-08-21T16:04:07Z

Barbour ABI: Created page with "= Election fails to spark construction industry revival = * Contract Awards 20% down on 2023 in July * Planning approvals decrease in challenge for new government – housing 16..."

= Election fails to spark construction industry revival =

* Contract Awards 20% down on 2023 in July
* Planning approvals decrease in challenge for new government – housing 16% down from month before

Labour’s election victory was not enough to kickstart project activity in construction in July. Contract Awards, where businesses are formally chosen as suppliers for projects, remained 20% down compared to July 2023.

[[File:Barbour ABI - Contract Awards 2 - July 2024.png]]

Ed Griffiths, head of business and client analytics at construction analysts, Barbour ABI said:

“Despite some promising energy projects, we have yet to see a significant increase in Residential and Infrastructure awards that we might expect with the new government in the coming year.

“Though there were increases in Residential and Medical & Healthcare both come from poor previous months. The largest project in Residential is the 564 flat £140m Green Quarter development in London.”

Meanwhile, almost 75% of all Commercial and Retail awards occurred in London with the £200m Lansdowne House mixed development topping these awards. Elsewhere, the East Midlands saw a 168% increase in Contract Awards from last month with a £120m battery storage system making up around 16% of all awards in the region.

= Planning approvals will be a key indicator for new government =

Planning approvals decreased by 9% in July totalling £8.8bn, a 36% decrease from a highly productive July 2023, although infrastructure bucked the trend with a big increase from June.

“Infrastructure planning approvals will be of particular interest as an area where Labour can have a more direct and immediate influence,” said Griffiths. “The top approval for Infrastructure in July was the £200m Medway One Energy Hub followed by two 400MW battery storage facilities. Ed Miliband’s headline grabbing approval of several large solar panel projects will likely have a big impact in next month’s figures.”

“We will also be tracking residential approvals over the coming months to see the effect of new housing policies on the planning system. Housing project approvals actually fell 16% from July – a figure Labour will hope is an aberration rather than a long-term trend.”

[[File:Barbour ABI - Planning Approvals 2 - July 2024.png]]

= Planning applications on pause =

Analysis of planning applications in June, ahead of the general election, highlighted an industry on pause, with overall application value is down 32% from June 2023, its lowest for over 18 months.

“The next available set of data for applications with cover election month and it will be interesting to see if businesses were feeling brave enough to commit to future projects in the wake of Keir Starmer’s victory” concluded Griffiths.

[[File:Barbour ABI - Planning applications 2- July 2024.png]]

File:Barbour ABI - Contract Awards 2 - July 2024.png

2024-08-21T16:03:44Z

Barbour ABI:

File:Barbour ABI - Planning Approvals 2 - July 2024.png

2024-08-21T16:02:59Z

Barbour ABI:

File:Barbour ABI - Planning applications 2- July 2024.png

2024-08-21T16:01:55Z

Barbour ABI:

User:Barbour ABI

2024-07-10T09:33:48Z

Barbour ABI:

Barbour ABI was founded to support the UK construction industry – helping businesses to sustain and grow. We are the exclusive provider of New Orders Estimates to the Office for National Statistics and partner to the Infrastructure & Projects Authority in providing the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline.

As the market leading provider of construction project information, we strive to allow our clients to access the very best, most accurate and up-to-date data on construction projects and the key decision makers that are involved.

Not only do we generate construction project leads, but we also are able to inform the industry of the latest trends and developments using our data to analyse and form a complete picture of the past, present and future.

We consider current affairs and their impact on our industry, where the opportunities and threats lie, and therefore how our clients can future-proof themselves.

Our mission is to provide our clients with the best experience and that the service and product we provide is an extension of their own business and something they can’t do without.

-----
== Contributions ==

* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Planning_approvals_increased_by_20%25_in_June_ahead_of_Labour%E2%80%99s_new_drive_for_housebuilding Planning approvals increased by 20% in June ahead of Labour’s new drive for housebuilding]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_contract_awards_jump_to_%C2%A37.3bn_in_May_as_uncertainty_continues Construction contract awards jump to £7.3bn in May as uncertainty continues]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Homeowners_turn_to_green_energy_upgrades_as_home_improvement_activity_declines Homeowners turn to green energy upgrades as home improvement activity declines]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year New engineering data shows over £52bn of projects were awarded to top 50 firms in the last] [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year year]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/New_engineering_data_shows_over_%C2%A352bn_of_projects_were_awarded_to_top_50_firms_in_the_last_year [1]][https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Residential_takes_the_reins_as_contract_awards_even_out Residential] [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Residential_takes_the_reins_as_contract_awards_even_out takes the reins from infrastructure as contract awards even out]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Construction_industry_revs_engines_in_January Construction industry revs engines in January]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/UK_Construction_saw_an_%C2%A311.1bn_fall_in_spending_in_2023 UK Construction saw an £11.1bn fall in spending in 2023]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Education_and_Health_applications_shine_in_subdued_construction_October_market Education and Health applications shine in subdued construction October market]
* [[Subdued_planning_environment_figures_provide_scant_hope_for_house-building_targets|Subdued planning environment figures provide scant hope for house-building targets]]
* [[April_turn_for_the_worse,_for_construction,_as_market_seesawing_continues|April turn for the worse, for construction, as market seesawing continues]]
* [[New_energy_rules,_a_threat_to_towns_and_cities_across_UK|New energy rules, a threat to towns and cities across UK]]
* [https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Infrastructure_tumbles,_adding_to_construction_industry_woes Infrastructure tumbles, adding to construction industry woes]

Planning approvals increased by twenty percent in June, ahead of new housebuilding drive by Labour government

2024-07-10T09:33:13Z

Barbour ABI:

[[File:Barbour ABI - Bricks inside a house being built - July 2024.png]]

= Planning approvals increased by 20% in June ahead of Labour’s new drive for housebuilding =

* Planning approvals provide early boost for Labour’s housebuilding goals.<br />

* Planning applications will be a key indicator of the impact of the new government in coming months, according to Barbour ABI analysts.<br />

* Contracts Awards fall 16% from May in unstable month.

Planning approvals saw a welcome rise in June ahead of the general election, reaching $9.6bn in value. This was a 14% increase from June 2023 and a 30% increase from May according to Barbour ABI’s latest analysis.

Medical & healthcare played a large part with the £700m Monklands Hospital Replacement Project getting the green light, however residential approvals were also up 103% for June - the highest in over 18 months. The approval of a 1500 house development in Manchester played a key part of the rise.

[[File:Barbour ABI - Planning Approvals - July 2024.png]]

Ed Griffiths, head of business and client analytics at Barbour ABI commented:

“Kier Starmer’s Labour Party has pledged to unlock the planning system to build 1.5 million homes during the current parliament, so this uplift in approvals will come as welcome news to the incoming government.

“Labour ran on promises of changing planning policy and energy reform, but any announcements will take a while before they impact shovels in the ground. As a result, business confidence will play a key part in the early days of the government. In particular, we may see more activity in Residential and Green Energy sectors now the election has been decided.”

= Planning applications on pause ahead of election =

Planning applications in May continued to fall as stasis gripped the industry ahead of the election. Overall, application value was down 12% from May 2023 and was at its lowest for over 18 months. Residential and Infrastructure, the two highest value sectors, continued to feel the squeeze, falling 16% and 6% respectively from the previous month.

[[File:Barbour ABI - Planning Applications - July 2024.png]]

Griffiths continued, “Looking ahead, all eyes will be on planning applications following the election. Businesses have long been holding off committing to new projects due to political and economic uncertainty, so this is where we should see the biggest shifts if Labour’s victory turns out to be the news the industry was waiting for.”

Contracts Awards were unstable in June, falling 16% overall from last month. A disappointing month after a positive May saw Education and Industrial dipping the most. Gains in Commercial & Retail and Infrastructure were the only positives as all other sectors fell behind. Residential contract awards were the most stable, falling just 11%.

[[File:Barbour ABI - Contract awards - July 2024.png]]

File:Barbour ABI - Planning Approvals - July 2024.png

2024-07-10T09:32:29Z

Barbour ABI:

File:Barbour ABI - Planning Applications - July 2024.png

2024-07-10T09:31:31Z

Barbour ABI:

File:Barbour ABI - Contract awards - July 2024.png

2024-07-10T09:30:34Z

Barbour ABI: uploaded a new version of "File:Barbour ABI - Contract awards - July 2024.png"

File:Barbour ABI - Contract awards - July 2024.png

2024-07-10T09:21:18Z

Barbour ABI: