UK construction output grew by 2.9% in September, according to the latest figures released by the ONS.

The rise was driven by increases in new work (2.7%) and repair and maintenance (3.4%) – the fifth consecutive month of growth.

Quarterly construction output grew by a record 41.7% in Q3 compared with the previous quarter, when the impact of Covid-19 was sharply felt. New orders grew by a mammoth 89.2% in Q3 compared with Q2.

The annual rate of construction output growth was 0.4% in September.

Kevin Reid

Kevin Reid, chief executive of the Cruden Group, said, “The steady increase in output activity, particularly from the housebuilding sector, is in line with what we are experiencing at the Cruden Group. We recently reported our 21st continuous year of profitable trading which is a significant achievement, particularly set against the challenging and unprecedented backdrop that the pandemic presented. Looking to the year ahead, we have made a robust start with an extremely healthy forward order book, and we plan to further increase the number of homes that we will build to help overcome the chronic shortage of housing throughout the country.”