Construction output in Great Britain stayed flat in Q1 2025, with no overall growth compared to the previous quarter, ONS data found.
New work was up by 0.9%, but repair and maintenance dropped by 1.2%.
In March 2025, construction output grew by 0.5%, following a small increase of 0.2% in February and a 0.3% decrease in January.
New work rose by 0.6%, while repair and maintenance saw a 0.4% increase.
Data also showed that five out of nine sectors reported growth in March, with private housing new work up by 2.3% and infrastructure new work rising by 2.5%.
New orders for construction jumped by 26.6% (£2,447 million) in Q1 2025 compared to the previous quarter.
Most of this quarterly rise came from infrastructure and private industrial new work.
Neil Leitch, managing director of development finance at Hampshire Trust Bank, said: “The increase in private housing is welcome after last month’s drop, and shows that developers are finding ways to navigate the many hurdles they face in producing the homes the nation so badly needs.
“The planning system remains a concern, acting as a bottleneck where SME developers in particular face unacceptably long waits for decisions.
“These delays can be disastrous for such projects, before you even consider the cost pressures and labour shortages the developers have to account for.”
Leitch added: “Alongside improving the planning process, as an industry we need to ensure developers enjoy access to funding that reflects their actual needs.
“That means flexibility and a bespoke structure, allowing the developer to push ahead with confidence.
“Without that, it will be an uphill battle to improve the rate of housing output.”
