Tender levels dive 40% as double-dip looms

Aaron Morby 14 years ago
Share

Tender levels plummeted 40% in the second quarter compared with the first three months of 2010, according to contracts service the Builders’ Conference.

The latest figures fuel fears that construction is careering into a double dip recession.

More worrying still, tender values are down around 30% on the same period last year when the construction industry fell into recession.

The Builders’ Conference chief executive Neil Edwards says these latest figures are not a post-election blip but indicative of a double-dip recession.

“During the second quarter of 2009, we compiled details of around 2,400 individual tenders that together had a value of just under £7.4 billion.

In the first quarter of 2010, that figure had risen to £8.25 billion on 2,066 tenders,” he says.

“In the second quarter of 2010, the number of tenders was very similar – 2,060 – but the value has fallen by around 40 percent to just £4.98 billion.

The falls are most pronounced in the housing and health sectors that are down 36 and 88% respectively.

Alarmingly road and rail tender levels have collapsed from £676m and £1.02bn respectively in the second quarter of 2009 to just £56m and £88m  in the same period this year.

Edwards warned that current Government policy is making a double-dip recession more likely and storing up problems for the future.

“Part of the new coalition Government’s austerity measures has been an immediate freezing of budgets for affordable housing but this is having a double knock-on effect,” he said.

“Not only does that mean that we’re falling further behind in our housing stock shortfall, it is also impacting upon private house-builders whose planning permissions are dependent upon a degree of affordable housing.

“If housing associations are unable to commit, housing projects will stop.  The Government needs to take immediate action to relax planning regulations to ensure that the housing market does not grind to a halt,” he warned.

Edwards believes that similarly bold action will be required to safeguard spending on schools, colleges and universities, a sector that has so far survived the cutbacks but which is likely to be in the Chancellors’ sights when he announces his emergency budget today.

Latest news

Police ban mobile cranes from roads over Easter

Plant hire bosses livid as forces across the country extend abnormal load embargoes
33 mins ago

Director jailed for exposing workers to asbestos

Ten tonnes of asbestos insulating board stripped out by unqualified workers
5 hours ago

Site labour rates start rising again

Industry's biggest payroll firm says "it feels like things could be turning round"
9 hours ago

Council finds extra £33m for Buckinghamshire link road

South East Aylesbury Link Road costs soar by nearly 30% to £147m
9 hours ago

Quartet win £490m North West & Central railway works deal

Skanska, Kier, Octavius Infrastructure and Story Contracting bag major projects deal
9 hours ago

Unite Students plans first major mixed-use scheme

Developer's first mixed BTR and PBSA project to be built in Edinburgh
1 day ago

Galliford Try names new finance director

Rentokil's Kris Hampson joins contractor to replace Andrew Duxbury
10 hours ago

Council boss hits out at bat threat to £274m road job

Natural England could scupper scheme due to be built by Ferrovial
10 hours ago

Hydrogen-fuelled diggers to be allowed onto highways

Government to raise barrier to widespread use of hydrogen fuelled plant in construction
1 day ago

Plans in for £118m Government hub in Darlington

Work pencilled to start later this year on new home for 1,450 civil servants
1 day ago

New contractor highlights Henry Construction jobs on website

New firm lists jobs by failed contractor to show its experience
1 day ago

Contractors line up for £2.6bn Anglian Water AMP8 deal

Eight big names land places on pioneering @one Alliance
2 days ago

McAleer & Rushe bags first major later living project

Work to start this month on 167-flat Royal Tunbridge Wells project
1 day ago

Kier starts first all-electric prison houseblock job in Kent

Next-generation fully electric T60 prison houseblock to be built at HMP Elmley
1 day ago

Keepmoat sees better times ahead in housing market

Profits dip in 2023 despite construction of record number of new homes
1 day ago

Vistry signs partnership deals for 1,900 mixed tenure homes

West Sussex former airfield and Newmarket sites to break ground
2 days ago

Turnover at Wates tops £2bn for first time

Construction division exceeds £1bn turnover as average contract value hits record high of £48.3m
2 days ago

L&G looks to sell Cala Homes in exit from house building

Insurance giant reported to be preparing to offload 3,000 homes-a-year developer
3 days ago

Multiplex profit almost trebles as margin hits 5.5%

Revenue jumps 20% to £675m as big London scheme complete
2 days ago

TopHat puts plans to open huge Corby factory on hold

Advanced manufacturing facility was due to employ 1,000 people
2 days ago

Laing O’Rourke lands Calderdale hospital job

Enabling works to start by the end of this year at West Yorkshire site
2 days ago

Go-ahead for £475m Sunderland film and TV studios

Work to start this year on first phase Corwn Work studios
2 days ago

Willmott Dixon set for £20m Stockport Community Hub

Planning decision expected in June on Marple leisure and health clinic project
2 days ago

Police hunt for blundering dumper truck thief

Raider drove into a fence before getting stuck on a bank
2 days ago

Beattie Passive files administration notice

Passivhaus pioneer has been in business for more than ten years
3 days ago

McAlpine set for £50m space and tech centre

Northumbria Uni sign pre-con deal for new satellite research hub
3 days ago

VolkerFitzpatrick seals £34m Kent road viaduct

Work to start next year on Sturry Link Road near Canterbury
3 days ago

Eight win £600m Scottish civil engineering framework

Balfour, Farrans, Graham and Morgan Sindall win major works lot
3 days ago

Site engineer crushed to death by excavator

22-year-old victim died just months after graduating from university
5 days ago

NG Bailey fined £135,000 after hospital site death

Worker died after striking overhead beam while navigating a mobile elevating work platform
6 days ago

Contractor services