Home improvements boosting construction work, says FMB

Repair and maintenance work is supporting recovery in the construction sector, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in response to today’s Office of National Statistics (ONS) figures.

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “The recovery in the construction sector is far from secured, as shown by today’s ONS statistics which reveal just 1% month-on-month growth. It is encouraging that the repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI) sector is still doing well with 26.8% growth over the last three months. However, there is increased concern about the availability of building materials because of import issues and the growing uncertainty about Brexit. 78% of builders are forecasting material shortages in the coming months and prices are rising across the board.”

Berry concluded: “While it is good to see boosted activity in the RMI sector, falling activity in the new build housing sector is a cause for concern. Increased support should be given to SME house builders through better resourced planning departments and by ensuring that the new National Home Building Fund is accessible to smaller and micro firms.”