Featured Region: South West

Underlying value of construction projects starting on site. (Excludes individual projects of more than £100 million and framework agreements).

The South Wests consists of the following Counties: Channel Islands, Isles of Scilly, Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire.

Construction in the South West had weathered the initial impacts of the credit crunch well. However, the region was not so fortunate in 2010. The credit crunch restricted growth in the private sector, as industrial, office and retail all suffered significant drops in the value of underlying project starts on site. However, strength in private housing and hotel & leisure—both of which had declined significantly in 2009—helped bolster construction starts in the region. 2011 has been a mixed year. After a difficult few months, a strong summer enjoyed a good flow of projects starting on site leading into the autumn.

Over 2010, civil engineering was unable to emulate its solid growth in 2009, with the sector registering a 44% annual decline. However, an upsurge in utilities planning approvals in the second half of 2010 fed through to site, boosting the sector by 70% over the last six months of the year. Sector strength continued last year as both civil engineering sectors are enjoying strong growth over 2011.