While repair and maintenance work was 7.4% above its
pre-pandemic level for the month, new work was still 3.1% below.
The news came as output grew by 1.9% in the month-on-month
all work series in November 2020, thanks to a 3.5% increase in new work. Repair
and maintenance dropped by 0.6%.
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The monthly decrease in repair and maintenance in November
2020 was down to a 6% fall in private housing repair and maintenance, despite growth
of 5.7% in public housing and 1.9% in non-housing repair and maintenance.
Construction output grew by 12.4% in the three months to
November 2020, compared with the previous three-month period, because of growth
in both new work (11.9%) and repair and maintenance (13.2%).
Total construction output in November 2020 stood at £14bn.
Commenting on the output figures, Fraser Johns, finance
director at Beard, said: “For the first time we’re seeing output returning to
pre-pandemic levels which is clearly cause for cheer, particularly as November
was a lockdown month.
“In recording a seventh consecutive month of growth, the
construction sector has bucked the national trend where the economy shrank
overall during the period. But what is also encouraging is the reverse in the
slow rate of growth that we’ve seen, going from 1.0% in October to 1.9% in
November.
“But while we hope that the vaccine rollout and a Brexit
trade deal in place should lead to less uncertainty broadly, we are still faced
with new strains of the virus and a national lockdown, with the impact that has
with schools closed and restrictions at every level.
“Realistically the fallout for businesses from Brexit could
yet take months to fully understand which means an element of volatility in the
short to medium term. However, the new business secretary’s open letter to the
construction industry is welcome reassurance in this current period.
“As we now face several more weeks of lockdown, it’s clear
that the construction sector has had to adapt but that keeping sites open and
projects going was the right thing to do, for jobs and the wider economy.”
