Builders face tough year with low private and public demand
THE CONSTRUCTION sector is set to keep shrinking as private sector projects fail to fill the gap left by declining government spending, an industry body said yesterday.
Manufacturers in the sector reported rising exports to other parts of Europe, but domestic building is in decline, the Construction Products Association’s survey showed.
A net balance of 25 per cent of contractors saw orders fall in the first quarter, with a balance of over 50 per cent in the public sector.
“We are looking at another challenging quarter when bank holidays and the Olympics will all affect productivity, making it unlikely that the second and third quarter figures will be any more encouraging than those for the first,” said the National Federation of Builders’ Julia Evans.