It feels as if the past three years have been shrouded in a fog of uncertainty, what with Brexit and the destabilising results of the 2017 general election. And now, with another election around the corner, who would predict where construction is headed in the next 24 months? Well, this is exactly what the researcher Glenigan has done in its latest report. So, what does it say?

Construction Industry Forecast for 2020 and 2021, which is published this month, highlights a levelling-off of the market following a decline in underlying project starts. Overall, the market rose by 1% in 2019 after an 8% decline in the previous two years.

Uncertainty has stymied growth in several sectors in 2018 and 2019: Brexit has dampened commercial activity, particularly in London, while in manufacturing, the questions around the EU trade agreement have weakened domestic demand.

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