According to data collected by the Builders鈥� Conference, the total value of construction contracts signed in the UK in September was 拢3.37bn 鈥� somewhat below the 拢4bn recent monthly average.
August had seen the total reach a record 拢11.26bn, thanks to the signing of 拢6.6bn of civil engineering contracts for the HS2 high speed rail project.
The contractor wining the most work in September, and therefore the BCLive league table victor, was Galliford Try, which picked up 12 contracts during the month with a combined value of 拢269.7m.
Sisk was in second place, with three contracts, totalling 拢222.6m.
In third was Willmott Dixon, whose 拢203.4m of new orders came from 15 separate contracts.
Only Morgan Sindall won more pieces of work than Willmott Dixon, bagging 16 contracts, with a total value of 拢101.3m.
Overall, housing-related projects contributed more than 40% of the monthly total, with 拢1.41bn.聽聽 Schools, colleges and universities added a further 拢683m.
Builders鈥� Conference chief executive Neil Edwards was gloomy about prospects: 鈥淭he number of contract awards gathered during September was just 468 projects. If that were not evidence enough of a continued slowing in demand, then the quarterly round-up figures most certainly are,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he number of projects recorded during the third quarter to the end of September was down 25% on the previous quarter.聽聽 Take out the freakishly-large HS2-related work, and the value of those projects was down by 20% against the previous quarter.鈥�
He added: 鈥淎ugust 2017 was an incredible high. 聽But like all highs, a low is bound to follow.聽聽 And the coming down in September feels less like a return to what is becoming a new norm, and more like plummeting off the cliff鈥檚 edge.鈥�
The BCLive top 20, September 2017
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