The monthly construction output figures published by the ONS revealed that comparing the annual 2015 data with 2014, output in the construction industry was estimated to have increased by 3.4 per cent.
Michael Thirkettle, Chief Executive of leading interdisciplinary international construction and property consultancy McBains Cooper, said:
“Construction firms will welcome the news that output increased over the last year, but any confidence that this represents a turnaround in fortunes for the industry would be premature, as evidenced by the fact that output fell in the last three months of 2015, compared to the previous three months, July-September.
“Construction accounts for 6 per cent of Britain’s economy but the industry continues to be in recession.
“There is no chance of the government’s target of a million new homes built by 2020 being met without addressing the chronic skills shortages in the industry which is crippling development, and allowing more construction on land other than brownfield, which is in too short supply.”