Featured Region: East Midlands

Project starts recovered strongly during 2012 and 2013, driven by an increase in in private housing activity and, latterly, by a rise in industrial sector activity. 2012 saw a 13% rise in the value of new project starts, and the region continued to outperform the UK average in 2013 with an 11% rise in starts. The pace of growth has moderated this year, with the value of starts during the first eight months 3% up on a year earlier.

The increase in project starts has taken time to feed through as a rise in construction output, with output actually slipping back 1% last year. However the first half of 2014 has seen a more robust performance with ONS recording a 14% rise in the value of construction output in the region compared to the first six months of 2013.

The outlook for the region remains positive, with industrial and private new housing activity expected to remain important drivers for further growth over the next two years.

The East Midlands consists of the following Counties: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire,  Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire.