果冻影院

The construction industry received a welcome boost in the three months leading up to January 2024, with contract awards surging by 18% compared to the previous quarter.

Major project contract awards averaged 拢3,589 million per month, which is a 136% increase compared with the preceding three months and also up by 2% against the previous year.

Leisure leads

The hotel & leisure sector experienced a mixed period in the latest quarter but some positive indicators were evident against a gloomy background. The overall value of contract awards was down by 45% against the previous year, but was still 3% larger than during the preceding three months.

At 拢772 million, hotel & leisure main contract awards increased 18% against the preceding three months and the value of major projects doubled to 拢300 million.

Contracts awarded in this sector during the latest quarter include the 拢35 million Dundonald International Ice Bowl in Belfast, where Heron Bros have been recruited to carry out the work and is due to start in May (Project ID: 11115892).

Elsewhere, Royal BAM have been confirmed as contractor on the 拢40 million Cultural Heart entertainment centre in Huddersfield (pictured) for Kirklees Council (Project ID: 22074195) and Belgian contractor Pellikaan have been signed up to build a 拢33 million leisure centre at Epping in Essex for Epping Forest District Council (Project ID: 20513491).

Housing rise

The residential sector has suffered in the past few months but there was a 20% rise in major project awards compared to the previous three months.

Deals confirmed during the three months to January 2024 include a 拢100 million job for Wavensmere Homes from Clowes Developments to build the Friar Gate Goods Yard scheme, which will provide 227 houses and 49 flats in Derby (Project ID: 23004540).

Community drive

In the community & amenity sector, contract awards over the three months to January 2024 totalled 拢783 million, which is up by 28% on the previous quarter and a healthy 55% up on the same stage 12 months ago.

There was a 67% rise in major project contract awards, which were boosted by the confirmation of ISG as contractor on a 拢300 million prison scheme at Grendon Springhill in Buckinghamshire for the Ministry of Justice (Project ID: 21094516).

The rise in this sector was not driven solely by major projects though and there are signs of growth at an underlying level.

For projects valued below 拢100 million, there was an increase of 52% compared to the previous quarter as 拢483 million-worth of contracts were awarded.

Contracts awarded at an underlying level range from a 拢24.4 million visitor centre in Oldham won by Willmott Dixon (Project ID: 20082789) to a 拢54 million deal for Morgan Sindall from the Defence Infrastructure Organisation for the redevelopment of Marne Barracks in Yorkshire (Project ID: 24020611).

Bright spots

As the industry heads into another year that poses plenty if challenges, some bright spots are emerging to hang onto and plan ahead.