Orders up but new work down

Construction orders for the first quarter of 1995 were 10% up on the previous quarter thanks to sharp increases in the infrastructure and private industrial sectors. However, new work is still trailing 8% behind the first quarter of 1994.

The total value of new orders in March was œ2070 million.

The sector by sector breakdown of the latest Department of the Environment statistics shows that infrastructure orders were a massive 78% up on the last quarter of 1994, largely because the Highways Agency rushed through 11 major road contracts in that period.

Despite this boost, infrastructure orders remain 6% lower than the same period in 1994.

The only sector to improve on 1994 figures was the private industrial sector. Orders were up 47% on the previous quarter and 35% higher than the same period a year ago.

The picture for the remaining sectors is bleaker with all showing a fall in orders. Worst off is the public housing and housing association orders which fell 12% this quarter, 21% lower than the same quarter in 1994.

Private housing was down 3% on the previous quarter. Public non-housing orders dropped 13% on the previous three months. Private commercial slipped back 3%.