Mixed picture for sector with three month snapshot continuing to show reverse

Private new housing work grew by more than 4% in February to help send construction output for the month up by 1%, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.

Private new housing saw a 4.3% growth with both new work and repair and maintenance growing by 1% and 0.9% to help monthly output grow by 1%, a rise on the 0.5% recorded in January.

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Private new housing work grew by more thn 4% in February, the ONS said

Public new housing was down 2.9% month-on-month, while public housing repair and maintenance was up 1.6%.

However, overall quarterly output fell again, slipping by 2% in the three months to February – the fifth consecutive fall in the three monthly series.

New work fell by 3.4%, while repair and maintenance showed no growth at all.

The ONS said six out of the nine sectors fell in the three months to February with the main negative contributor to the decrease being private new housing, which fell by 6.5%.

The wider economy grew by 0.5% during February, the ONS said.