CPA warns of gloomy 2012 for construction

摘要

The construction sector is set for a gloomy 2012, the Construction Products Association has warned, writes Vern Pitt. Revising its construction output forecast for this year further into the red, the CPA predicted that output will fall 5.2% in 2012 followed by a flat year in 2013 but will return to growth in 2014. In autumn 2011 it predicted output would fall by just 3.6% in 2012. Michael Ankers, chief executive of the CPA, said: "For the construction industry to return to growth there needs to be a strong private sector recovery, but this is just not happening." Simon Rawlinson, head of strategic research at consultant EC Harris, said: "The main driver of the fall that 2011 was not as bad as we thought it would be and that's because there was a growth in construction output in the third quarter."