THE Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has welcomed the latest ONS Construction data for September 2023, which showed 0.4% growth, but said it masks the ‘serious fall’ in housing output.
Brian Berry, chief executive of the trade body, said it was ‘pleasing’ to see growth in construction output in what is looking like a difficult period for the sector.
“Whilst both the private housing and non-housing repair and maintenance sectors are performing well, this should not distract from the fact that the uptake of new work has continued to fall this month, and presents a major long-term challenge to the overall outlook,” he added.
“The strong performance of repair and maintenance cannot be allowed to mask the fact that this month’s modest overall growth in construction output follows two consecutive months of falls, and that housebuilding rates remain in decline.”
