1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144 
P CONSTRUCTION
Page 48
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Building sector decline shows signs of slowing
DESPITE SOME encouraging signs that the housing market is beginning to recover, the Construction Products Association (CPA) expects construction output to fall 15% this year, with a further 2% fall in 2010, before beginning a slow recovery from 2011.
The latest forecast points out that even then, will take until 2021 for construction output to reach the levels of 2007.
However, the decline has slowed considerably, and companies now feel able to plan for a return to economic growth, according to a further survey conducted by the CPA and Ernst & Young. CPA economic director Francis Noble says the latest figures demonstrate a considerable improvement.
Dominic McAra, a director in Ernst & Young's building products team, says: The slight improvement in the results this quarter seem to reflect a tough, but stable trading environment, allowing firms to plan for the future again, rather than concentrating on the immediate."
He adds that firms are proceeding with caution.