Regional Construction Projects On The Rise

The number of construction projects taking place outside of London is increasing, which is good news for the industry and those working within it. 

According to Deloitte’s Regional Crane Survey, which looks at Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Belfast, the UK construction sector is remaining resilient in spite of global economic instability. 

It revealed 74 construction projects commenced in the four cities in 2022, which is an increase from 72 in 2021. 

Partner at Deloitte John Cooper stated: “Developer confidence is a key indicator for economic health and, despite many market uncertainties over the last few years, construction in our surveyed UK regional cities remained remarkably resilient.”

The sector was predominantly held up by the high number of office, residential and student housing construction initiatives, which increased throughout the year. 

However, hotel starts dropped by 25 per cent from 2021. Additionally, the square footage of offices being built was still below the five-year average.

In Belfast, nearly one million sq ft of new education floorppace and 120,000 sq ft of leisure space was built last year, as well as  571,000 sq ft of office space, which is the highest volume since 2016. 

Birmingham also saw improvements, with a 40 per cent increase in the amount of office space under construction, a 37 per cent rise in residential schemes being built, and a 58 per cent growth in the number of homes being delivered compared with 2021. 

While there were no retail-led starts last year in Leeds, five public realm schemes, seven student residences, 858,448 sq ft of office space, 3,266 homes and 13,562 sq ft of education construction commenced.

In Manchester, 2022 saw 1.7 million sq ft of office floorspace, 17 new residential developments, 381,000 sq ft of leisure and retail space, 263,000 sq ft of education floor space, 2,734 homes, and 1,504 hotel bedrooms under construction. 

This suggests there will be high demand for those signed up with a construction recruitment agency across the UK, as building work shows no signs of slowing down in 2023.