Featured Region: East Midlands

Construction activity in the East Midlands has experienced considerably volatility during the past few years, we recorded strong gains in underlying starts in 2010 only to see the level dip in 2011, and then bounce back again last year with a 14% rise. Strong gains in utilities, offices and the housing sectors were recorded last year but these were softened by falls in education and industrial starts.

The Office for National Statistics reported that output in the region fell by 8% last year, reflecting the falls we recorded in project starts during 2011. Large declines in new private housing work and output of other public sector new work were offset by a small rise in infrastructure output. Output of repair, maintenance and improvement work also declined last year with a fall in every sector apart from infrastructure RM&I.

The first six months of 2013 have seen a further swing in starts, registering a 20% decline compared to the first six months of 2012, large declines have been recorded in utilities, industrial, office and retail starts in the period, limited gains in infrastructure and education starts helped make the fall less severe. The East Midlands consists of the following Counties: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire,  Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire.