On the year anniversary of Coronavirus Lockdown UK

New figures from construction market intelligence provider The Builders’ Conference show that the UK construction industry secured more than £83 billion in new contract awards in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing national lockdown.

It is precisely 12 months since UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson took the unprecedented step of plunging the UK into lockdown to control the spread of the Coronavirus and thereby safeguard the National Health Service (NHS).

At the time, there were justifiable concerns about what this would mean for the traditionally labour intensive construction sector.   But, having been granted key worker status, the sector rose to the challenge to help lead the national economy towards recovery.

According to new figures from market intelligence provider The Builders’ Conference, the UK construction sector secured well over 6,000 new projects since the first lockdown began.   Those contracts have a remarkable combined value of more than £83 billion.

“£83 billion in new construction work in just 12 months breaks all previous records on the BCLive league table of verified and real-time construction contract award data,” says Builders’ Conference CEO Neil Edwards.

“It would be an incredible achievement at any time.    But to have accomplished that in the midst of a global pandemic and against the backdrop of Brexit and wider economic concerns is just astonishing.”

Although the figures for the past 12 months were buoyed by the award of more HS2-related work, it is the housing sector that has continued to lead.

House building accounted for almost 2,500 new contract awards with a combined value of just under £32 billion.

Railways contributed 42 new contract awards worth an impressive £11.97 billion, while roads accounted for a further £7.1 billion.

Offices (£5.0 billion), education (£4.7 billion) and entertainment (£3.1 billion) also made a significant contribution to the 365 day figures.

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