The West Midlands experienced a poor three months to November, with project-starts, main contract awards and detailed planning approvals all having declined on the previous year. Detailed planning approvals increased on the preceding three months to provide some optimism.
West Midlands overview
Work starting on-site in the West Midlands added up to £1.43bn during the three months to November, declines of 15 per cent decline compared with the preceding three months previous year. There was an absence of any major projects (£100m or more in value) starting on-site, differing from the preceding three months and previous year. Underlying project-starts (less than £100m in value) experienced a 4 per cent decline compared with the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted (SA) basis to stand 3 per cent lower than a year.
Totalling £2.06bn, main contract awards in the West Midlands decreased 19 per cent on the preceding three-month period but stood 3 per cent up compared with a year ago. Major project contract awards totalled £460m during the period, a 5 per cent decline on the preceding three months but a 27 per cent increase on 2021 levels. Underlying contract awards, at £1.6bn, performed poorly, having decreased 29 per cent (SA) against the preceding three months and 2 per cent against a year ago.
Detailed planning approvals in the West Midlands added up to £1.71bn during the three months to November. While this was a 20 per cent decline compared with the same period a year ago, the value advanced 3 per cent against the preceding three months. Major project approvals totalled £120m, an 8 per cent decrease on the preceding three months and a 26 per cent decrease on the previous year. At £1.59bn, underlying detailed planning approvals decreased 18 per cent (SA) against the preceding three-month period to stand 20 per cent lower than a year ago.
Sector analysis: project starts
Private housing accounted for almost half (45 per cent) of work starting on-site in the West Midlands during the three months to November, with the value adding up to £646m. Despite this, private housing-starts fell 7 per cent compared with a year ago. A further decrease was prevented by the £85m ‘Swans Landing’ scheme in Stratford-On-Avon (Project ID: 16450549). Industrial project-starts also suffered, decreasing 42 per cent against the previous year to total £277m. Industrial was the second-most active sector in the region, accounting for 19 per cent of project-starts. Education (-64 per cent) and health (-62 per cent) experienced the steepest falls compared with a year ago to total £60m and £26m respectively.
Some sectors bucked the trend, one being social housing which, at £137m, experienced triple-digit growth (+329 per cent) against 2021 levels to account for a 10 per cent share of the total value. Social housing was the third most active sector in the region. Infrastructure also experienced growth (+1 per cent) compared with a year ago to total £114m, an 8 per cent share of the total value.
Value of project starts in the West Midlands during the three months to November 2022 by sector
| Sector | Value of Project-Starts (£m) | Change on previous year | Change on two years ago | %Share |
| Private Housing | 638 | -7% | 45% | 45% |
| Industrial | 277 | -42% | 472% | 19% |
| Social Housing | 137 | 329% | 65% | 10% |
| Infrastructure | 114 | 1% | -88% | 8% |
| Offices | 72 | -6% | -11% | 5% |
| Education | 60 | -64% | -49% | 4% |
| Hotel & Leisure | 37 | 109% | 381% | 3% |
| Utilities | 26 | 42964% | 7499% | 2% |
| Health | 26 | -62% | 11% | 2% |
| Retail | 23 | 21% | -29% | 2% |
| Community & Amenity | 14 | 16% | 20% | 1% |
| Total | 1,425 | -15% | -22% |
Sector analysis: detailed planning approvals
Private housing also accounted for the greatest proportion of detailed planning approvals (30 per cent) in the West Midlands, with the value adding up to £520m. Despite this, private approvals halved compared with a year ago. Social housing approvals, accounting for 7 per cent of the region, also weakened (-19 per cent) compared with 2021 levels to total £126m. Offices (-13 per cent), education (-11 per cent) and health (-29 per cent) project-starts all suffered setbacks during the three months to November to total £88m, £104m and £79m respectively.
In contrast, industrial detailed planning approvals performed well having increased 40 per cent compared with a year earlier to total £448m. The sector accounted for more than a quarter of approvals (26 per cent), being boosted by the approval of the £49m ‘Redditch Eastern Gateway’ scheme (Project ID: 22207605). Hotel & leisure approvals, accounting for 12 per cent of the total value, also performed well in the region, rising 35 per cent against the previous year to total £213m. Approvals included the new £85m ‘Sandwell Aquatics Centre’ in Smethwick (Project ID: 22413000).
Value of project approvals in the West Midlands during the three months to November 2022 by sector
| Sector | Value of Project-Approvals (£m) | Change on previous year | Change on two years ago | %Share |
| Private Housing | 520 | -50% | -63% | 30% |
| Industrial | 448 | 40% | 196% | 26% |
| Hotel & Leisure | 213 | 35% | 443% | 12% |
| Social Housing | 126 | -19% | -36% | 7% |
| Education | 104 | -11% | 11% | 6% |
| Offices | 88 | -13% | 295% | 5% |
| Health | 79 | -29% | 248% | 5% |
| Infrastructure | 76 | 99% | -38% | 4% |
| Retail | 32 | 37% | -8% | 2% |
| Utilities | 13 | -69% | -69% | 1% |
| Community & Amenity | 11 | -78% | 383% | 1% |
| Total | 1,711 | -20% | -20% |
Forecast construction starts for West Midlands
| Underlying project-starts (£m) | Change on previous year | |
| Quarter 1, 2021 | 1,986 | 37% |
| Quarter 2, 2021 | 1,367 | 12% |
| Quarter 3, 2021 | 1,280 | 38% |
| Quarter 4, 2021 | 1,258 | 5% |
| Quarter 1, 2022 | 1,947 | -2% |
| Quarter 2, 2022 | 1,572 | 15% |
| Quarter 3, 2022 p | 1,445 | 13% |
| Quarter 4, 2022 f | 1,162 | -8% |
| Quarter 1, 2023 f | 1,423 | -27% |
| Quarter 2, 2023 f | 1,325 | -16% |
| Quarter 3, 2023 f | 1,284 | -11% |
| Quarter 4, 2023 f | 1,214 | 5% |
| Quarter 1, 2024 f | 1,505 | 6% |
| Quarter 2, 2024 f | 1,486 | 12% |
| Quarter 3, 2024 f | 1,529 | 19% |
| Quarter 4, 2024 f | 1,425 | 17% |
Note: Underlying projects are schemes with a construction value of £250,000 to £100m. Forecast updated in November 2022 p – provisional, f – forecast.
Source: Glenigan
Glenigan – celebrating its 50th anniversary this year – is CN Intelligence’s partner for UK construction project data, market analysis and company intelligence.
Glenigan combines comprehensive information gathering with expert analysis to provide intelligence on all construction sectors, including private and social housing, education, health, hotel and leisure, industrial, infrastructure, offices, retail, and utilities, and across all regions of the UK and Ireland.
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