New orders improved in March
15:47 06 May 2004
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New construction orders grew 18% in March to £3.2bn compared with £2.7bn in the same month a year ago. In the first quarter orders grew 8% to £10bn from £9.2bn in Q1 2003, while in the 12 months to March orders were just shy of £34.7bn, 2% ahead of the previous 12-month figure of £34bn.
Orders from the public housing, private housing, other public and private commercial sectors all increased in the month compared with the same month a year ago. However, infrastructure and private industrial orders were down 39% and 10% respectively.
This pattern is repeated in the first quarter, with infrastructure and private industrial the only sectors to fall year-on-year by 44% and 6% respectively.
New construction orders March 2004 (March 2003 in brackets)
- Public housing £260m (£206m)
- Private housing £981m (£749m)
- Infrastructure £287m (£467m)
- Other public £631m (£435m)
- Private industrial £201m (£223m)
- Private commercial £921m (£708m)
- Total £3,281m (£2,787m)
New construction orders Q1 2004 (Q1 2003 in brackets)
- Public housing £567m (£465m)
- Private housing £3,058m (£2,489m)
- Infrastructure £927m (£1,669m)
- Other public £1,633m (£1,517m)
- Private industrial £552m (£586m)
- Private commercial £3,271m (£2,532m)
- Total £10,008m (£9,258m)