Tag: noble-francis

Brick deliveries sink below lockdown levels as the new-build slump deepens

Intelligence Mark Thompson -
CPA’s Noble Francis warns that rising mortgage rates, a weaker Bellway outlook and mounting regulatory costs point to a...

Construction workforce decline threatens skills needed for fenestration recovery

Viewpoints Mark Thompson -
Britain’s shrinking construction workforce risks becoming a significant constraint on the recovery of the window and door market, with...

Construction workforce crisis threatens housebuilding recovery as real wages fall +VOX

Intelligence Mark Thompson -
There were 2.07 million people employed in UK construction in the first quarter of 2026, according to the ONS....

High-rise housing starts stay weak despite modest rebound from lows +VOX

Intelligence Mark Thompson -
High-rise residential construction in Britain remains well below its post-pandemic peak, despite a modest recovery from the low reached...

Middle East conflict threatens a fresh cost shock for UK construction

Intelligence Mark Thompson -
The escalating conflict in the Middle East is already sending tremors through the UK construction sector, with rising oil,...

Brick deliveries fall, clouding hopes of stronger UK housebuilding rebound

Intelligence Mark Thompson -
UK brick deliveries fell at the start of 2026, adding to doubts over whether housebuilding activity will rebound strongly...

Why UK construction materials prices remain stubbornly high despite inflation cooling

Intelligence Mark Thompson -
UK building materials price inflation eased to 3.3 per cent in the year to December 2025, according to Department...