A new report has forecasted a significant rise in construction starts in Northern Ireland, with a slow recovery next year accelerating in 2026.
This was the prediction of the Construction Information Service (CIS), which said there would be a one per cent increase in starts in 2025 and a nine per cent rise in 2026, all of which will bring lots of cheer to digger dealers and sellers of other plant equipment.
Across the different segments of the construction sector, nine out of ten anticipated growth in activity of at least five per cent in at least one of, if not both, the next two years. The industrial and commercial sectors are the best performers of all.
The exception is in housing, where water infrastructure issues continue to pose a problem and 19,000 homes have been delayed by such issues. However, with 11,000 new applications being made in 2024, it is clear that the number of new housing starts should start to increase if solutions can be found to these infrastructure problems.
CIS vice president for Ireland and Europe Dave Thompson noted that Northern Ireland’s infrastructure minister John O’Dowd has signalled action on the issue with £31 million of extra funding for NI Water, including £19.5 million specifically set aside to improve the infrastructure.
“This investment is vital for unlocking the potential for new housing developments and addressing long-standing infrastructure challenges,” Mr Thompson stated.
Consequently, while housing construction starts are expected to be down by 20 per cent this year, growth should start to resume next year, CIS believes.
The upbeat Northern Ireland situation reflects a broader optimism across the UK construction sector.Access Construction has predicted expansion in its UK Construction Industry Outlook 2025 report, although it highlights some significant challenges, including cost inflation and a potential labour shortage of up to 225,000 workers by 2027.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/northern-ire...
